Posted on 09/09/2004 5:36:42 AM PDT by SheLion
This sets him apart from virtually all politicians in the world. They want the public to believe the baloney they serve night and day, but they'd fear for their sanity if they believed it.
Bloomberg believes everything he says as the mayor of New York. He can deliver a whopper that would make a rabbit hug a hound and walk off the stage convinced that he told the truth, the only truth, never imagining that anyone with any sense could contest it.
Just the other day, he announced that the Republican convention netted the city $255 million. Netted means after costs. Before the convention, he said we'd make $265 million. It was understood that the number meant gross, not net. But gross turns into net when Mayor Mike says so.
Controller William Thompson released an analysis showing that we probably lost about $50 million for the convention.
All you had to do was look and listen to know that Thompson was right. With few exceptions - Elaine's, '21,' Four Seasons - the restaurants were empty, the theaters on life support, the night clubs running on customers who didn't leave town.
New York's big spenders packed the Hamptons or Saratoga - so where's that $255 million clear profit?
John Sabini, a state senator out of Queens, put it just right. "The Republicans came to town with the Ten Commandments in one hand and a $100 bill in the other, and they didn't break either."
Bloomberg says we cleaned up. Says it shows that New York should be awarded the Olympics in 2012.
To promote this, he shows up in Athens and says there's no place like New York for the Summer Games. Because nobody smokes anymore in New York.
In Greece, a guy or doll who doesn't smoke is suspected as maybe Al Qaeda, certainly a probable felon. Yet Bloomberg uses his anti-smoking law, the most prohibitive in the world, to promote the Olympics.
The only thing missing is a slogan: "Sixteen Days in a Smoke-Free City." That would clinch it for the Chinese, the Israelis, the French, the British, the Spanish, the Mexicans - fuhgeddaboudit.
I said something like this to Daniel Doctoroff, Bloomberg's point man for the Summer Games. "Why are you failing to go with that slogan? That's your best hit."
He half-smiled, half-grimaced and said thanks for the help. Known as understanding satire.
In Athens, Bloomberg actually took it seriously and said so. He invites everyone to New York because he believes the world wants to be smoke-free. It's a matter of life and death to him, so how could anyone argue?
In Vanity Fair magazine last year, Bloomberg said that more people die each year in New York from second-hand smoke than perished at the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Isn't there a place called Bellevue for people who talk like that?
But he's the mayor of New York, and he believes every word he says. I knew him long before he thought of running for public office. And always liked him personally.
So it's not easy for me to say that he's maybe the scariest guy I've ever seen in politics. Mike Bloomberg cons from the heart.
Gotta admit, that's a pretty funny line.
Mike Bloomberg is a complete idiot.
I think I just found a tagline !
Sounds like Bloomy has the same disease as Kerry - user created reality.
total and complete a$$
So the race for Mayor has begun. Perhaps they would prefer Green, Ferrer, unnamed dem candidate?
Bloominidiot needs to go back to the demonRats....he is a complete and total JACKA$$.
The bloominidiot IS a dem and a dim, dum one at that.
It really is a fine line! I'm proud to be among this 'group.'
He really is. A little gestapo.
He took a trip to Turkey last year. An article printed said that he sat with the Turks, who were all smoking, and he just grinned and grinned. He sure didn't say anything THEN about the smoking issue.
He talks out of both sides of his mouth.
Pretty neat, eh? :)
He is like FnKerry to me........I can't stand to LOOK at him.
We had a real Mayor for eight years and now we must be punished.
Compared to bloominidiot, feckless is actually interesting (and I fall asleep everytime he opens his mouth)
Scary.
The once great city of my birth (and that of my parents and grandparents) is but a shadow of it's former self.
Forget the build up reporting that over a million demonstrators were expected, including some known to promote violence to get publicity.
Reports that people would be harrassed, misdirected to dangerous areas, etc.
That the unions would cause "problems" even though they weren't on strike, or negotiating contracts at the time.
New York wasn't being nice to Republicans, and even New Yorkers were worried they might get caught in the crossfire.
People stayed away? Who'da thunk it!
(I DO however think he was a twit for offering discounts for "peaceful demonstrators)
That stinks. Who in their right mind would invite or cater to protesters?
He just wanted to draw a crowd, and he didn't care what side they were on.
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