Summertime For Bloomberg

The Times' Michael Cooper looks at how Mayor Bloomberg is becoming less awkward and more polished as a city politician, namely by getting out and meeting with his constituents. Which is not to say he's a smooth operator by any means: Earlier this month, answering a reporter's question about whether he had misspoken when he said he was confident that the property tax increase he pushed through was temporary, he said, "I don't know how you'd characterize misspoking."

Gothamist thinks he likes going out more because people like 81 year-old Shirley Tosk at the Riverdale Senior Center are saying, "I didn't realize he was so attractive! He's gorgeous!" Gothamist also thinks Cooper added that quote just to confuse readers.

In other positive news for the Mayor, a state Supreme Court judge ruled that the city's bond sale (to alleviate the budget deficit) could go forward. However, Governor Pataki and his cronies can still block it.