After 16 continuous years of Republican mayors in New York City, you would think that there would be an urgency amongst democrats (nationwide) to get rid of this present pompous and arrogant mayor Michael Bloomberg: well you could have fooled me. After watching President Barack Obama (and surely his political director /Patrick Gaspard too) insult the democrat’s nominee William (Billy) Thompson, with what must be described as the worst half-assed endorsement ever given to a mayoral candidate for a major political party, I am demanding an explanation from the White House.
What the hell is going on?
The democrat’s primary took place on Tuesday 15th September, 2009; there were exactly seven weeks to the general election; you can’t tell me that in those seven weeks the White House did not schedule a few campaign appearances with the nominee (Billy Thompson) for Barack and Michelle Obama, Joe Biden and his wife, the Clintons, et al.
Who dropped this ball?
Furthermore: has Barack Obama truly endorsed Billy Thompson? All I have seen so far is an apology for an endorsement. First, we had the spokesperson (Gibbs) being pressured by reporters to say something to the effect that “the president is the head of the Democratic Party, and as such he endorses the ticket”. But we have never seen Barack Obama stand side by side with Billy Thompson at some arranged/ convened press conference, and unequivocally state that “I Barack Obama endorse Billy Thompson for Mayor of New York City in this upcoming election.” It hasn’t happened. And we are left with poor Billy Thompson and his staffers, raking up the crumbs off the floor of this “Mickey-Mouse” endorsement. He cannot even show a commercial with him standing side by side with Barack. He cannot do a commercial with Obama’s voice stating he endorsed him.
And why hasn’t it happened: pray tell? Is it because the tentacles of Bloomberg’s billions stretch all the way to the White house? I want to hope not. I really want to. So there must be an explanation. So let’s have it White House.
Didn’t Obama go on the David Letterman show (or was it the Alfred Smith dinner?) to quip about Bloomberg’s hijack of the term limits referendum? This tells me that he is aware of the issue. It also tells me that he must take a stand against what Bloomberg immorally orchestrated in the NYC council last year.
Michael Bloomberg is an over rated mayor. His accomplishments don’t amount to much more than a hill of beans. He has done nothing revolutionary. He has done nothing earth-shattering. He has done nothing spectacular. He has been a mediocre mayor at best. He has gotten full control of education in New York City and yet too many kids drop out or flunk out of school. He has done nothing to make us more fiscally sound as a city. He has done nothing to lower taxes on middle class people. He refuses to touch the rich folks who need to pay more in taxes. He refuses to make his kitchen cabinet more inclusive. He is just one of those supercilious rich white men who thinks that everyone has a “for sale” sign on their forehead, and also can be bought and sold like slaves. He is wrong. I hope the voters show him that he is wrong when they vote next Tuesday.
Look, with Rudy Giuliani (a potential presidential rival) lurking around, shouldn’t the White House hold more than just a fleeting interest in this mayoral race? Recently Rudy Giuliani came out with his staple racial pander, implying that if Thompson is elected, crime will rise to the levels of the early nineties, and not a peep out of the White House on such a sickeningly disgusting remark.
And Bloomberg shows his true colors by intimating that NYC could devolve into Detroit, and again no response from the White House. Meanwhile they are busy running around New Jersey trying to save Governor Corzine’s butt. And they are all over Virginia trying to shore up Obama’s waning popularity there. So what about New York City?
Is Obama saying to New York City: “drop dead”?
Last week, he did as he usually does (and I wrote about this two years ago) come into town with his ATM card for a timely withdrawal via a fundraiser. At this event he gives a shout out to Billy Thompson and that was it. Where were the photo ops? Where were the campaign stops with Thompson? Where was the media opportunity for Thompson to be pictured with him? Where were the meaningful endorsement trappings and paraphernalia? Totally missing.
Look, Billy Thompson is too decent a guy to cry out. He isn’t as feisty as many of us: but that’s him. I am me. I call it as I see it; I write it; then I duck. What the White House has done to Billy is shameful. They could have easily helped him close the gap in this race. It wouldn’t have taken much more than two days in NYC having Thompson campaign with the president.
Patrick Gaspard is a veteran of NYC politics. He is also the White House Political Director. He knows that if Obama campaigns with Thompson just twice, that it will be good for a ten point shift in the polls; especially if he goes into the black and Hispanic areas of this naked city, where Obama is still immensely popular. The minority vote will be invigorated no end. Democrats carry at least a four to one registration edge on all other registrants combined. In some minority areas it is even twice as high. This race is so winnable it aint funny: no matter what the polls say.
And what about Michelle Obama: couldn’t she have been recruited? And what about Joe Biden: couldn’t he have been shifted to NYC after one of his many New Jersey trips for Corzine? And where are the Clintons when you need them? And the Cuomos? And the Kennedys? And so many other prominent democrats who seem to be missing in action during this uphill campaign Billy is waging. Have they all been bought off by Bloomberg’s billions?
I do feel for Billy Thompson folks; deeply. Here we have a mayor spending a hundred million dollars; and on the other side of the fence we have Billy working with what amounts to a weekly unemployment compensation check. Too often, life is unfair. This is one of those times. And Bloomberg lacks the common decency to even see the obscenity in this situation. Michael Bloomberg is spending money like a “John” about to leave for sea for a year. He is trying to buy up all the” vajajay” in town. Even Colin Powell has succumbed to Bloomberg’s sinkhole. Shame on the lot of you; especially after Bloomberg trampled on the ideals of true democracy with last year’s term-limits referendum overturn. He disqualified himself from being mayor again.
And what can I say to the editorial boards of the city’s top three newspapers (Times, News and Post) except that you need to diversify your boardroom. The top Hispanic (El Diario) and black (Amsterdam News) papers are vehemently supporting Thompson over Bloomberg.
And what can I say to all the black churches that Bloomberg‘s billions have bought: you are disgusting. Too many of you treat your congregants like imbeciles while you live lavish selfish lifestyles of self-importance, self-aggrandizement, arrogance and ignorance: too many of you help in the perpetuation of the problems plaguing the black and Hispanic communities. Too many of you are more so part of the problem not the solution.
It’s like near everyone has caved in to this man’s money. It’s like they don’t see what he did last year as the pinnacle of disrespect. It’s like they have no self-respect. It’s like they have been felled by the “Bloomberg mad-cow disease”. It’s shameful.
E tu White House?
Stay tuned-in folks.