Sunday Breakfast Drama Over Mayor's Race, Term Limits

The National Committee for the Furtherance for Jewish Education held their annual “empowerment breakfast” in a small hotel room on Ninth Avenue yesterday morning, where the talk of politics was unavoidable.

Breakfast chair Suri Kasirer called City Comptroller Bill Thompson to the front of the room to present an award. (She used to be a fund-raiser for him). Kasirer introduced him by listing a number of his accomplishments.

“No matter what Bill decides to do in the future," she said, "Hope he will be mayor.”

After a brief pause, the line got a round of applause from the audience. Then Kasirer added in good humor, “See, Chris is late, so it’s okay that I said it,” a reference to Christine Quinn, one of Thompson’s more formidable rivals in next year’s mayoral race.

Quinn walked in shortly after that.

Later, Quinn introduced City Councilman Lew Fidler, chairman of the Youth Services Committee, who received an award from the group. Quinn listed some of his accomplishments and said, "Thank you for everything that you have done and will do in the time we have left.”

Under the current term-limit law, this is Quinn and Fidler's last term in the City Council, although there are Council members (and a mayor?) who hope to change that.

Before ending his acceptance speech, Fidler addressed term limits.

Referring directly Ed Skyler, a deputy mayor who was at the breakfast, but is reportedly not in favor of extending term limits, Fidler said, “Deputy mayor, an award is nice, but I’d really like the opportunity to work an additional four years.”