Billionaire Mayor Listens to Billionaire Citizen's Demands

Michael Bloomberg is very popular, has billions of dollars, and wants to change the city's term-limits law. Ron Lauder is not as well known, has billions of dollars and (basically) wants to preserve term limits.

So, why does Bloomberg to court Lauder, and acquiesce to Lauder's demands for a bizarre one-time-only change in the term limits law?

Some argue that the billionaire mayor is afraid of facing, for once, a well-financed challenge.

“I assume he went to Lauder because Lauder had enough money to launch a public campaign against him,” said ad man Jimmy Siegel. Lauder theoretically could “flood the airwaves and say ‘term limits are term limits.’”

Political consultant Hank Sheinkopf said the mayor’s courting of Lauder is expected.

“Billionaires talk to billionaires in a common language that you and I don’t understand,” Sheinkopf said. “Lauder could fund a challenge." And, he added, "By removing Lauder, you remove the potential source of money."