Beloved New York Times Styles section photographer Bill Cunningham generally avoids interviews. However, at a party held in his honor last night on the third floor of Bergdorf Goodman, several encouraging attendees told us, “He’s in a good mood tonight.”

With that in mind, we gave chase, following the blue-suited Mr. Cunningham through racks of clothes as part of the shifting, seemingly impenetrable ring of friends and admirers that surrounded him as he made the rounds. After a few false starts (“Just a moment, I must talk to this woman from the museum” followed by many obliging smiles), we finally cornered Mr.  read more »

Tom Golisano’s new political action committee could put him on a collision course with Michael Bloomberg, who has openly talked very publicly about what he says would be the benefits of keeping Republicans in control of the State Senate.

As Bloomberg’s former communications director Bill Cunningham told me, “They may have dueling agendas.”

“The mayor’s agenda has typically been what’s good for New York City. Golisano’s agenda sounds like it is a traditional reform agenda about the process of state government. So here you have philosophy versus process.” He also said the mayor, since he’s in office, is dealing with “the real politics,” of the Albany-New York City relationship.  read more »

Inspired by the ado over Barack Obama's use of Deval Patrick's phrasing, and similar use by Hillary Clinton of at least one Obama phrase, I emailed a few quotable people in New York for them to give them the opportunity to put a catchphrase of their own on the record.

Here they are:

Simcha Felder:
“Do not place unsolicited advertising materials on this property."

Brian Ziff-Levine:
“It’s the undecideds, stupid.”

Joe Mercurio:
“Silence is an incredibly stupid communications strategy. No wait I actually stole that from Frank Luntz.”

Doug Muzzio:
"'If a frog had wings he wouldn't be bumping his ass on the ground' (cribbed from my father-in-law, Darrell Saunders)."

Phil Anderson:
"No reform, no raise."

Charles Barron:
“The renter's rebate. Rock Hackshaw gave me that idea when I was running for mayor in 2005. The next thing I know, Gifford Miller is talking about it, and now, Christine Quinn is."

More after the jump.  read more »

Michael Bloomberg has repeatedly said that he’s not running. He's also repeatedly said that no candidate is talking about substantive issues on the presidential campaign trail.

Former Bloomberg communications director Bill Cunningham, who cautions that he doesn't have any inside knowledge about the mayor's intentions, thinks that if nothing else, the mayor may be in a position to deliver a crucial presidential endorsement.  read more »

In the paper this week, I tried finding out what ever happened to that revolutionary voter data information that helped Michael Bloomberg customize his message to practically every New York City voter.

In his recently published book, The Power of the Vote, Bloomberg pollster Doug Schoen said it “was nothing less than a revolution in political outreach and communication.”

So, where is that stuff now?

“I don’t really think I can be helpful on that subject,” Bloomberg pollster Doug Schoen told me in a very short interview.

“It’s probably locked away in some computer vault,” Bloomberg’s former senior adviser Bill Cunningham told me, joking only a little bit. He also said it’s probably useless anyway.

That seemed to be the case that Bloomberg's former communications director Bill Cunningham was making last night on NY1.

"Everyday, another newspaper writes about it. You talked about it. Your guests talk about it. It's on all the talk shows. You can't run away from it. But, I take him at his word [that he won't run]. On the other hand, I know a lot of people wonder if a New York mayor, who is pro choice, pro gun control, pro gay rights, anti-smoking, can run nationally. Rudy will find that out, if you can be all those things and run nationally. But there are many states in the country where a Michael Bloomberg can do very well."

Too early to rate odds other than the conventional wisdom...Thompson will be seen as the front runner given his two terms in citywide office, money in the bank, and Brooklyn base. Weiner will be seen as very formidable due to his run last time and his tax cut plan that he will dust off whenever there is an opportunity, as we saw this week re the tax analysis that was released showing NYC atop all other cities in taxes.

Carrion and Quinn have their advantages but neither has a citywide race to point to. Which all means exactly...nothing. 2007 and 2008 are the years to organize, fundraise and develop themes.

I'm very happy at Dan Klores Communications, but as Mario Cuomo was fond of saying: "between now and then a Pope could be born."

The theme of this year's Inner Circle Dinner, the City Hall version of the Gridiron, was "$pent," and Mike cooperated, with an extended skit with the cast of Spamalot that was harsher than any of the roasting the press had done earlier Saturday evening. The papers covered the main show, but there were a few details that didn't wind up in print.

I didn' t see Freddy there, but he might have liked it. "I wish I had those ideas," Mike says at one point of some policy planks of Ferrer's. "You will," says Sheekey. The Mayor also describes his vast volunteer operation as "50,000 volunteers -- give or take 20,000."