Bill Thompson | The New York Observer

Weiner Returns to City Hall

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:25:49 -0500

Anthony Weiner could have held his press conference about federal health care legislation anywhere he wanted on Sunday. He held it in front of City Hall.

There's been no shortage of finger-pointing among Democrats over who's really to blame for not helping Bill Thompson in his unexpectedly close loss to Michael Bloomberg. Weiner himself has come under fire for criticizing the White House's conspicuously insignificant role in the race. But Weiner himself is not in...

Queens Elects Three Republicans

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:47:49 -0500

How did Queens end up electing three Republicans on Tuesday?

The first was Eric Ulrich, who held his seat in the Howard Beach, Rockaway section, which is pretty blue-collar and the kind of place Rudy Giuliani did well. Which is why the former mayor campaigned there with Republican Eric Ulrich. But Ulrich could have held the seat on his own. He’s young and a talented public speaker who first won the seat in a special...

Unreleased Marist Poll Showed Thompson Closing in on Bloomberg

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:03:23 -0500

A Marist poll completed the day before the election but never made public showed “a continuation of the trend we saw in the previous week” with “Democrats and African-Americans coming home,” said pollster Lee Miringoff.

Miringoff said the poll also showed “Bloomberg’s numbers had this low-50s element.”

The methodology here was slightly different than in earlier Marist polls. Instead of calling mostly land lines and "random dialing" to expand the pool of participants, this latest poll...

Dinkins Wanted More From Obama

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:22:20 -0500

Bill Thompson supporters continue firing shots at those they say could have and should have done more to help out. The latest is from David Dinkins.

From The Post:

“The president should’ve done more. He found time to go to Virginia, he found time to go to New Jersey and he should’ve been here,” former Mayor David Dinkins, who was in office from 1990 through...

Unofficial Results: Liu and de Blasio Get More Votes Than Bloomberg

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:55:55 -0500

The person who got the most votes in yesterday’s election?

No, not Michael Bloomberg. It’s Comptroller-elect John Liu.

According to unofficial results, Liu got 696,330 votes, with 652,511 on the Democratic line, and 43,819 on the WFP line.

The second-highest total belonged to Bill de Blasio, in the public advocate’s race. He got 672,383 votes. 627,390 came on the Democratic line and 44,993 from the WFP line.

Michael Bloomberg got 557,059 votes in total. 414,242 came from the...

Seabrook, Very Live

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:05:24 -0500

Norman Seabrook sums up the anger among Bill Thompson supporters about non-supporters, saying on live television that people purporting to be "supporters of righteousness, strong supporters of change, strong supporters of taking the homeless off the streets are full of...

Bloomberg Spends Big, Wins Small, Survives on Independence Party Votes

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:38:48 -0500

Bill Thompson beat Michael Bloomberg among New Yorkers who cast their votes on the Democratic and Republican lines, 479,521 to 414,242.

But Bloomberg’s margin of victory last night was delivered by the Independence Party line, where the mayor got 142,817 votes, compared to the 27,196 Thompson got on his major third party line, the Working Families Party, according to unofficial results from the city Board of Elections.

This can be attributed mostly to the fact that...

No Rest for the Trackers

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:59:28 -0500

Even though the polls open for only a few more hours, there’s still time for candidates to mess up and for a rival to make use of that negative information.

Which explains why Erica, the (friendly!) woman from the Bloomberg campaign charged with following Bill Thompson, is out in the field today.

A source on the Thompson campaign spotted her at several events. A Bloomberg source shrugged at the notion that this is anything out of...

Poll: 45 Percent Unswayed Over Term Limits

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:11:52 -0400

One fact that may underscore why Bill Thompson’s main complaint about Michael Bloomberg hasn’t served him better: 45 percent of registered voters said extending term limits made “no difference” in their decision.

That’s according to a new Marist poll, which shows Bloomberg leading Thompson 53 to 38 among likely voters, up slightly from last week, when Bloomberg led 52 to 36 percent.

In the latest poll, Bloomberg leads Thompson among Democrats, 47 to 39 percent.

Liz Benjamin...

Markowitz Says Vote Democratic (After Voting Bloomberg)

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:45:03 -0400

“What we do in the next five days is going to win the election,” Michael Bloomberg told supporters in his Atlantic Avenue campaign office in Brooklyn this afternoon.

Borough President Marty Markowitz, a Democrat, was on hand to support Bloomberg, but remind people to vote for others in the party.

“We have the benefit of a mayor who’s moved this city forward,” Markowitz said. But, he added, “Please, after people have voted for the mayor, tell...

Diaz Backs Thompson Even If It's Not Entirely Helpful

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:53:59 -0400

Rev. Ruben Diaz Sr. said about 100 ministers met with him and Bill Thompson in the Bronx this morning, vowing to help get him elected. Afterward, they went to a senior center.

“The enthusiasm, you should have seen it,” said Diaz. “A standing ovation. Ministers chanting Bill-y! Bill-y!”

I had to rely on Diaz’s account of the event since it wasn’t on the campaign’s schedule, and Diaz’s notice about it got past me and a few...

Cuomo and Thompson Try Focusing on 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:27 -0400

Andrew Cuomo walked a few blocks on Third Avenue in the Bronx this afternoon with Bill Thompson, and endorsed him for mayor.

The event was ostensibly to boost Thompson’s mayoral campaign, but it felt like a precursor to next year’s governor’s race. Thompson is trailing in the polls and most pundits and observers consider it only a question of how large a margin Bloomberg wins by.

But the event provided Cuomo, who is reportedly planning to...

Revealed! Bloomberg in Washington Heights, Thompson with Diaz Sr.

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:51:03 -0400

Sometimes, candidates campaign without the media.

This morning at 9 a.m., Michael Bloomberg had a breakfast in Washington Heights with seniors, which was not publicized by his campaign.

A campaign source said it wasn't publicized because they feared reporters wouldn't be able to make it on time, and that the mayor's schedule was so chock full of stuff that they couldn't guarantee when then event would start or end.

This person also said the campaign wanted to...

Cuomo to Endorse Thompson

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:54 -0400

Andrew Cuomo is expected to endorse fellow Democrat Bill Thompson today, possibly at an event in the Bronx, according to a person familiar with the event.

The endorsement comes late in the campaign, and it’s unclear if Cuomo, like other elected who have endorsed Thompson, will be any more critical than is absolutely necessary of Thompson's opponent, Michael Bloomberg.

The endorsement today may shed more light on the brewing governor’s race next year, where Cuomo is...

Bloomberg and Thompson Act Like Politicians on Taxes

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:07:48 -0400

The most memorable part of last night’s debate, for me, was the moment when Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson attacked one another when asked who would “consider raising taxes” to balance the budget.

It’s likely, if not unavoidable, that whoever is mayor over the next four years will have to raise taxes or fees, since he’ll be faced with a multi-billion-dollar deficit and little hope of getting help from Albany or Washington. As mayor, Bloomberg...

Thompson's Hip-Hop Coalition

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:15:40 -0400

Michael Bloomberg has Bono. Bill Thompson has Andre Harrell, and soon, the “hip-hop party.”

Thompson’s campaign has paid $30,000 since August to Harrell Entertainment, the company founded by hip-hop mogul Andre Harrell.

Harrell, in my book, is best known for giving a start to, and then firing, an up and coming producer named Sean Combs, aka P. Diddy. (It's not unlike Salomon Brothers firing a 31-year old in their tech division who ended up doing pretty...

Thompson Is Fine With Sharpton's Silence

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:44:23 -0400

Rev. Al Sharpton was uncharacteristically silent after Rudy Giuliani’s controversial comments in Boro Park, where the former mayor told Orthodox Jews that crime would spike back to their pre-1993 levels if Michael Bloomberg wasn’t re-elected. “And you know exactly what I’m talking about,” Giuliani said.

Today in Jackson Heights, Thompson said, “I don’t have a problem with the Reverend not saying something on that issue. I think there were enough people who complained, who were...

Thompson Supporters See a Scary 2021

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:10:10 -0400

Liz gets her hands on the latest ad from the Communication Workers of America who, like Bill Thompson, are focusing their anti-Bloomberg efforts on term limits.

The best line, from this ad, about an imagined future New York City: "There are no public...

Quinn Argues Consistency, Then Backs Thompson

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:21:03 -0400

When Christine Quinn said she supported extending term limits, she said it was necessary in order to have the same in place to deal with the fiscal crisis.

“As we move forward in these very difficult times, continuity in leadership will allow our city to continue to work,” Quinn told reporters on October 12.

Today, she endorsed Bill Thompson, not incumbent Michael Bloomberg.

How does Quinn square her endorsement of Thompson with her reasoning for extending term...

Bloomberg Envisions 2013, Thompson Sees Empty Promises

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:56:34 -0400

Michael Bloomberg said crime that crime will be cut in half, and schools will be so good that suburban families would move into the city just to get their kids into one.

Those were among the highlights of Bloomberg’s speech this morning about what he thought the city would look like at the end of his third term: a cleaner, greener New York City with more efficiently run schools.

But the speech didn’t break much new...

Poll: Bloomberg at 53 percent

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:24:40 -0400

Michael Bloomberg leads Bill Thompson 53 to 35, according to a new Quinnipiac poll of 1,088 likely voters.

That’s virtually unchanged from their poll last month, which had Bloomberg leading 52 to 36.

This latest poll has Bloomberg leading 46 to 44 among Democrats, 61 to 24 among Independents, and 49 to 35 among Hispanics. Plus, he's leading in every borough.

Last week’s poll from Marist showed similar results, except it had Thompson leading in the Bronx.

A...

Bill Thompson Is Hiring

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 12:47:30 -0400

The Bill Thompson campaign took a beating today with a story about a dispirited atmosphere pervading the campaign, and their overall sloppiness. There are no typos on this flier, but a reader notes it also doesn't contain a union bug, or note saying it was printed in-house. It's noteworthy since the interviews are taking place at a union...

Paterson: Same-Sex Marriage on the Agenda for the Special Session

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:34:50 -0400

Governor David Paterson has promised to put same-sex marriage on the agenda when he calls lawmakers back to Albany for a special session to deal with business left undone since the coup back in June.

“Marriage equality will be on the calendar,” Paterson told an audience at the Empire State Pride Agenda’s annual fund-raiser in Manhattan last night. “Marriage equality is coming to New York State.”

The head of ESPA, Alan van Capelle, went further, calling...

An Anti-Bloomberg Rapper Elaborates

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:57:31 -0400

Two days ago, a rapper from Harlem released a song that criticized Michael Bloomberg for extending term limits, and encouraged voters to oust him in the November 3 election.

The Daily News reported that the song and accompanying video may have contained a racial slur when it asks "How many condos you sold now?" as an image of Bloomberg is shown kissing the Western Wall in Israel.

In a brief interview, the rapper, Rief Rawyal, formerly...

How New York Is Like Albuquerque, How New York Is Not Like Albuquerque

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:57:47 -0400

Bill Thompson and his supporters have made a calculated decision to invest heavily in the issue of Michael Bloomberg's term-limits extension, which, for campaign purposes, is arguably the most problematic aspect of the mayor's record.

Thompson has repeatedly stressed the issue, and now, one of his institutional supporters, the Communication Workers of America, is launching a second ad reminding people that it was the mayor who pushed for the term-limits extension, overriding two public referendums.

Will...

Poll: Bloomberg at 52 Percent

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:34:47 -0400

Michael Bloomberg inches over the 50 percent mark and now leads Bill Thompson, 52 to 36 percent, widening his lead now to 16 points, according to a new Marist poll. Last month, Bloomberg was hovering at 50 percent, with Thompson back at 39 percent. In July, Bloomberg was at 48 percent.

So, things are trending in Bloomberg's favor. He's even leading among Democratic voters, 47 to 39 percent.

Another figure that stood out to me: 62...

Paterson Misses Paterson Forum

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 13:41:11 -0400

ALBANY--A forum in Bedford-Stuyvesant billed as "A Community Conversation" with David Paterson took place last night without David Paterson.

About 400 people showed up at the First A.M.E. Zion Church on MacDonough Street for the forum, which included appearances by Bill Thompson, John Liu, State Senator Velmanette Montgomery and Councilmembers Al Vann and Letitia James. Assemblywoman Annette Robinson was one of the principle organizers.

"We had a very nice meeting," she said. "Basically...

Bloomberg Explains Axing Commissioners, Raising Taxes and Being Polite to Bill Thompson

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 12:22:20 -0400

At a Crain’s breakfast at the Sheraton this morning, Michael Bloomberg expanded on his comments about wanting to change commissioners in his third term.

“[I]t’s very difficult to walk in, look a commissioner in the eye and say, ‘You know, you have done great things, you’ve worked hard, you’ve done everything we’ve asked you. But it’s time to go.’ But that is what you have to do,” said Bloomberg. “That’s what management is all about.”

“If...

Thompson on 'Cloud 9' Over Obama 'Endorsement'

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:14:55 -0400

The endorsement Barack Obama offered Bill Thompson yesterday has been written off by most of the media as perfunctory and lacking in substance.

Thompson though, has called it “excellent.”

Here’s part of Thompson’s chat with reporters after attending a rally in the Garment District this afternoon, courtesy of an attendee:

Q: What did you think of Obama’s comments about you last night? There were some reports that you had been hoping for more?

A: “Not in the least...

CFB Dismisses Thompson's Complaint Against Bloomberg, Then Changes Rules

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:13:21 -0400

Bill Thompson’s complaint against Michael Bloomberg for not publicly accounting for the the personal contributions he’s given to candidates has been dismissed.

The city Campaign Finance Board said their rules weren’t clarified before the issue was raised by Thompson back in August. Thompson complained that Bloomberg personally donated millions of dollars without declaring it as campaign spending. Bloomberg people responded by saying it wasn’t required, and then provided a list of other citywide candidates, all...

Times Demotes Thompson From Deft-Handed Leader to 'Conciliator'

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:53:58 -0400

The New York Times went up today with a generally positive story about Bill Thompson’s time at the Board of Education, which ran under an unconditionally positive headline: "Leading Board of Education, Thompson Wielded Deft Hand Behind the Scenes." It was an uniequivocal refutation of the Bloomberg campaign-generated narrative of Thompson as an ineffectual hack whose passivity made him responsible for the many failings of the public school system when he was on the...

Bloomberg Downplays Obama's Thompson Endorsement

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:54:34 -0400

After getting a tepid endorsement from Barack Obama's spokesman, Bill Thompson is expected to get a warmer reception from the president, who is in town today.

When asked what he'd like to Obama to say, Thompson told reporters, "I have no idea what the president is going to say. I think his endorsement has been helpful so far. I’d like him to add to it and put a little more substance to it, but I...

Bloomberg Offers No Defense of Giuliani Comments

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 11:09:50 -0400

For the second-straight day, Michael Bloomberg declined to disavow what critics say were racially coded comments made by Rudy Giuliani, who warned an audience of Jews in Brooklyn that crime could rise if the mayor wasn’t re-elected.

While at the ferry terminal in Lower Manhattan to receive the endorsement of Democratic Representative Mike McMahon, Bloomberg was asked if critics had “misinterpreted what he was saying.”

“I don’t know,” said Bloomberg. “I’ve got to work on trying...

Bill Lynch: 'Giuliani Is Going Back to The Old Days'

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:14:47 -0400

One of the people Rudy Giuliani was aiming at when he talked to an audience of Jews in Brooklyn about the prospect of crime returning to 1993 levels was David Dinkins. (Dinkins, who was the mayor until the end of 1993, when he lost to Giuliani, hasn’t returned my call for comment.)

Another is Bill Lynch, who was Dinkins’ campaign manager and deputy mayor. He isn’t just upset about what Giuliani said, but also about...

Bloomberg, Into the Albany Muck

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:50:00 -0400

In his second and final campaign event of the evening of July 20, Michael Bloomberg visited a steaming hot volunteer headquarters in Riverdale, where he talked about his attempts to narrow the achievement gap between minority and white students. He was troubled. “People said you couldn’t do anything about it in the last seven years,” he said, sweating in a monogrammed white shirt. “And I think in the next four years, assuming we get mayoral control...

Dept. of Education Reacts to Thompson's Audit

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:45:00 -0400

A spokesman for the Department of Education sent out a response to Bill Thompson’s audit. The main thrust of the response is that Thompson’s audit relies too heavily on something called the High School Scheduling and Transcript system (HSST), which the city administration says “is a relatively new system that many schools had not even begun using in 2007, the year he focuses on in his audit.” HSST also was imprecise in its ability to classify...

Thompson Gets a Shout-Out from Obama

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:58:00 -0400

Hours after Chuck Schumer heaped praise on Michael Bloomberg, Barack Obama gave a shout-out to the mayor’s Democratic rival, Bill Thompson. During his speech at the NAACP centennial event in midtown tonight, Obama said, “We know that even as our economic crisis batters Americans of all races, African-Americans are out of work more than just about anyone else—a gap that’s widening here in New York City, as detailed in a report this week by Comptroller...

As W.F.P. Votes to Endorse Thompson, Teachers Abstain, 32BJ Says No, ACORN Says Yes

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:54:00 -0400

The Working Families Party mayor-endorsement vote last night went to Bill Thompson. According to an interested reader, here's the vote total: 75-Thompson 34-No endorsement 9- Abstain 1- No show To get the endorsement, Thompson needed to have two-thirds of the yes/no votes cast. That means out of the 109 eligible votes last night, Thompson needed to get 72. So it was close. Despite that, this is the first endorsement that both Bloomberg and Thompson have sought that went to Thompson. The...

Team Bloomberg and the Working Families Party

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:45:00 -0400

Tonight, the Working Families Party is meeting and could vote on a mayoral endorsement. A source there said the mayor’s people are "pushing, very very hard for an outright endorsement," believing they can win it, and not just block Bill Thompson from getting it. Bloomberg spokesman Howard Wolfson said the onus is on Thompson to win the endorsement, and he did his part to raise those expectations. "Bill Thompson ran on the WFP line in 2001 and...

At Endorsement of Katz and de Blasio, Carpenters Official Says Bloomberg Looking 'Better Every Day'

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 12:35:00 -0400

The New York City District Council of Carpenters endorsed Melinda Katz for City Council Comptroller and Bill de Blasio for public advocate today at an event outside City Hall. Organizing the event was Michael Forde, executive secretary treasurer of the union. As he walked away, I asked him what they're doing in the mayor's race. “We haven’t endorsed the mayor as of yet,” said Forde. “Right now we’re in the process of negotiating labor agreements with all...

When Comptroller Candidates Attack

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:18:00 -0400

Early on the morning of June 16, Melinda Katz, John Liu, David Weprin and David Yassky, the four Democratic candidates hoping to succeed Bill Thompson as city comptroller, gathered in the CUNY Graduate Center in Midtown and attempted to add zest to talk about municipal finance. The forum was the candidates’ first and last chance to debate each other directly, and they wasted no time in setting themselves apart from their fellow candidates and scuffling...

Poll: Bloomberg Leads Among Democrats, Voters Say His Spending is 'Overkill'

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 10:11:00 -0400

Michael Bloomberg is leading his Democratic opponent, Bill Thompson, even among Democrats, and splits the support of African-American voters, according to a Quinnipiac poll that came out earlier this morning. A majority of people polled say Bloomberg’s spending doesn’t given him an unfair advantage in the election, but do say that it is “overkill.” So go figure. The poll, conducted among 1,396 registered voters, also showed that 62 percent would prefer to invite Bloomberg to a...

A Poll That Means Less If Bloomberg Is Running Against an Actual Person

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:35:00 -0400

There’s a front-page story in the New York Times today about a poll they did with NY1 and Cornell University saying "a majority of New Yorkers say that [Michael Bloomberg] does not deserve another term in office and that they would like to give someone else a chance." Which struck me as one of those pieces of data that is perfectly valid and interesting, yet of limited practical use, considering this has been such a...

Emma Bloomberg Campaigns

Tue, 09 Jun 2009 14:14:00 -0400

Here’s Michael Bloomberg’s daughter, Emma, speaking at a “Women for Bloomberg” rally yesterday at John Jay College. The event featured Whoopi Goldberg. Emma delivered a pretty funny opening speech. “God, it’s great to be here. And I say that not only as a founding member of ‘Women for Bloomberg’ but as a charter member of a slightly smaller group, ‘Bloombergs for Bloomberg.’” She also spoke about how her dad announced his first mayoral bid eight years...

Weiner on Bloomberg and Vanilla Coke

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:51:00 -0400

Representative Anthony Weiner may have withdrawn from the mayor’s race, but he’s not done criticizing Michael Bloomberg. On the Brian Lehrer Show this morning, Weiner compared Bloomberg’s exorbitant campaign spending with another high-profile, extensive advertising campaign that was not successful. “You know, when they launched Vanilla Coke, I saw so many ads for it, I wanted to try it," Weiner said. "It was still crummy. So I think we have to be careful not to draw...

A Weiner Supporter on the Silver Lining

Tue, 26 May 2009 16:39:00 -0400

Jeff Dinowitz, who endorsed Anthony Wiener when he ran for mayor in 2005, said if Weiner's not running this year it will help the Democratic Party avoid "a divisive primary." "Not having a primary I think is not a bad thing this year," Dinowitz, an assemblyman from the Bronx, said in a brief telephone interview. "Whoever is the Democratic nominee has to face the $100 million campaign. It certainly is better for the Democrats not...

McCarthy Endorses Bloomberg, Not Obama's Treatment of Steve Israel

Tue, 26 May 2009 13:42:00 -0400

Michael Bloomberg was endorsed by Democratic Representative Carolyn McCarthy of Long Island, who brushed aside the fact they're in different political parties. "When I first met him, I was a Republican and he was a Democrat. I became a Democrat and he became a Republican," McCarthy told reporters after the event, which took place in front of a statue of Eleanor Roosevelt at 72nd Street and Riverside Drive. "The fact that she was willing to put...

An Old Weiner Story Resurfaces in Brooklyn

Tue, 26 May 2009 13:20:00 -0400

It's not clear who at this point considers Anthony Weiner a candidate for mayor--his official withdrawal from consideration will reportedly come shortly--but someone is still taking him...

All the Bloomberg You Can Handle

Mon, 25 May 2009 22:58:00 -0400

Politics, the saying goes, is just show business for ugly people. And as in show business, the Charlie Parker rule applies: Always leave them wanting more. This is not what Michael Bloomberg is doing. Faced with a two-term limit on his mayoralty, he could have opted to ride off into the sunset this year, with no-name successor candidates from both parties singing his praises and trying to out-Bloomberg each other, and with pundits and editorialists...

Brooklyn for Thompson, de Blasio, Yassky

Wed, 20 May 2009 21:58:00 -0400

The Brooklyn Democratic organization voted unanimously to endorse Bill Thompson for mayor, ignoring a request from prospective candidate Anthony Weiner to delay the vote by two weeks, according to Democratic district leader who attended the event. The organization also voted to endorse an all-Brooklyn slate for citywide offices, going with Bill de Blasio for public advocate and David Yassky for comptroller. According to this attendee, de Blasio got 36 votes,...