The Daily News usually has some topnotch political reporting thanks to reporters like Elizabeth Benjamin. But then a fluff story like today’s ‘Mayor Bloomberg likes hotdogs!’ pops up on the site and it makes us think, “Is this what the paper qualifies as serious journalism? Is this really worthy of newsprint — for a section called ‘Brawl for the Hall?’”

Bloomberg tells The Daily News:

“I’m not into this fancy food, like shrimp, caviar and lobster,” said Bloomberg. “I like hot dogs, hamburgers and fried chicken the best. I like real food for real people.”

C’mon, who are we kidding? Of course Bloomberg likes fancy food. If he didn’t, why does he go to all those fancy restaurants?
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Miss Heather came across the following flyer in the East Village:

Via New York Shitty:

It reads:

“As your mayor, I will always protect my constituent’s like all like all N.Y.C. BOROUGH presidents, Council members and LAW MAKER’s. Who all have thier (sic) hands DEEP in my POCKETS. Me and my “bluBillion Dollar Blue Boys “own and control ALBANY and will continue to manipulate, ABUSE and DEMORALIZE every sector of society. Especially the personnel of the FDNY/NYPD. Call me a “Bloomberg Bomb!” I’m a machine that can’t be stopped! “Always remember and never forget” that my money talks!

[Thanks to Queens Crap for sending]

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* Azi Paybarah has the video of Bloomberg saying he’s not running against anyone.

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Bloomberg TV ad back in May

Clyde Haberman of the Times sums up Bloomberg overkill quite nicely.

Via The New York Times:

Anyone who turned to NY1 on Wednesday night got to see something exceedingly rare these days: a locally televised program that contained not a single commercial trumpeting the glories of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. If we had had our wits about us, we’d have recognized this as a sign and bought lottery tickets.
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Eric Dixon has a theory as to why there hasn’t been a breakthrough in the City Council slush fund investigation.

Via Crime, Politics and Policy: By Eric Dixon:

The New York City Council slush fund controversy has not made any recent headlines, but one can be fairly certain plenty of investigating is going on behind the scenes (and of course no one has a vested interest in publicizing any of this until the perp walk). Some observers are getting agitated that there hasn’t been a perp walk yet. Below is my educated theory as to why.
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By Neil Fabricant

We have a very big problem in New York City. An extraordinarily wealthy man holds virtually every source of private and public influence and power and is employing it to pursue a personal vision of what the city should look like, and who should live and work in it far into the future. He also conceives his vision as a model for other cities and for the country. He has bulldozed over obstacles, including elections that constrain all other elected officials. He is often compared – and compares himself favorably – to Robert Moses, the iconic master builder (and destroyer). Only the global fiscal meltdown, a crisis brought about primarily by Bloomberg’s investment banking colleagues, has slowed the 20-year timetable.

When he failed to gain whatever it was he wanted in Washington D.C., he decided that remaining in office was the best thing he could do with his time. He easily swept aside the two public referenda that called for him to leave after his second term, and is putting to work the same combination of public and private power, wealth and influence to overwhelm the electoral process. Today’s capital-intensive, technologically driven electoral politics being what it is, the advantages of deploying hundreds of millions of dollars with the stroke of a pen, together with all the other resources Bloomberg commands may prove decisive. That at least is the conventional wisdom. This election is, therefore, a very big deal, but as with the New York Times and other major media, the New Yorker, doesn’t seem up to the task of treating this challenge to our democratic system seriously.
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* Azi Paybarah reports that In response to all those New Yorkers who feel that Bloomberg’s television ads are overkill, the mayor said simply, “don’t watch.” He also said he doesn’t have time to watch television, and didn’t watch last night’s Democratic mayoral debate. Why? According to the AP, Mayor Bloomberg feels he has no challengers in the election. Huh — so why spend nearly $40 million before the general election?

* Bloomberg found himself forced to give a deposition for the third time in three months, reports NY1. This time around, a judge is trying to determine whether FDNY entrance exams in 1999 and 2002 intentionally discriminated against black and Hispanic applicants.

* Baseball site Bugs and Cranks says Bloomberg has poor baseball fan etiquette:

Here’s the cover of this morning’s amNewYork, the story being about how New Yorkers are sick of all the Bloomberg ads. It’s not exactly news — people were complaining about the overkill several weeks ago, when the television ads first began appearing and the mailings poured in on a daily basis.

Read the story at amNewYork

Develop — Don’t Destroy Brooklyn reminds us that Bloomberg has a tendency to say he vehemently opposes something, only later to make a special exception for his own personal gain (term limits, anyone?). This time, it’s about community benefit agreements, a legally enforceable contract signed by community groups and by a developer, who promises to provide a range of community benefits in the development project in exchange for support.

Via Daniel Goldstein and DDDB:
Doubletake: Bloomberg “Violently” Opposes CBAs but Loves Atlantic Yards CBA

More from Mayor Bloomberg’s interview with The Brooklyn Paper:

…[Bloomberg] also blasted the kinds of community benefits agreement that Ratner signed with several groups, some of which did not exist before they signed an agreement to support the project in exchange for some financial backing.

“I’m violently opposed to community benefits agreements,” he said. “A small group of people, to feather their own nests, extort money from the developer? That’s just not good government.”

Uhm….whaaat??
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