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While Governor Paterson's press conference announcing the introduction of same-sex legislation was an monumental landmark event, there was a very awkward moment. Right before Mayor Bloomberg was to speak, some music started playing which made him freak out more than a little.
It turned out that music was from a recorder owned by disabled reporter Michael Harris (of the Examiner). Harris later told PolitickerNY "a photographer knocked over his jacket which held his recorder. When it fell onto the ground, the recorded starting playing. Harris said he at first didn’t realize where the noise was coming from, but once he did, he could not reach down and get to the recorder easily." So during the press conference, Bloomberg continued to show his irritation—as CityRoom reports:
The noise, which was not playing loudly enough for most other people in the room to notice, rattled Mr. Bloomberg.Bloomberg apparently kept looking at Harris while saying, "Maybe we should take everything outside." Harris was upset by the Mayor's behavior, telling PolitickerNY that he was “quite embarrassed at being singled out like that... I think the mayor took something very minor and made it into something major and was a very cheap shot at me. I do think an apology would be in order here." PolitickerNY also has video of the incident (above).“Can we just stop this, and maybe we’ll start again?” the mayor asked.
At that point the City Council speaker, Christine C. Quinn, leaned over to the mayor, covered the microphone on the lectern and whispered in his ear, “He’s disabled.”
Mr. Harris’s disability, and the fact that he was clearly having difficulty reaching the recorder to shut it off, was apparently of little consequence to the mayor.“I understand that — he can still turn it off,” Mr. Bloomberg was overheard saying.
Another reporter offered some choice words about the mayor to the Village Voice's Running Scared: "What a dickhead. Michael is a good guy and doesn't deserve this shit from Mayor Midget."
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"Michael Bloomberg - tough on crime, tougher on the disabled. Vote Bloomberg in 2009."
Bloomberg's a dick. This is news?
aren't all reporters disabled by the sensationalism standard anyway? No Journalistic creed here.
No one who works for The Examiner qualifies as a journalist.
Better check if he's really disabled too.
You know what would be funny? One of those fake media "trend" observations - Bloomberg "seems to be losing his cool" or "is having trouble projecting a sympathetic image." You've got this, the stupid comments on white-collar crime - just rope a few more details in, and it's an instant trend. And then it'll become a self-fulfilling prophesy - even if the public doesn't really think it, they'll go along for the ride.
But it won't happen. That kind of treatment is currently reserved for Paterson.
Bloomberg being a douche as usual.
What a dickhead. Reinforces my plan to not vote for him. He's like a modern-era Bill Buckley.
Wow - this happened to me in middle school! Ya, I had a mini-cassette recorder for some reason, and had it with me at school, in my bookbag. Little did I know that Geoelh Sr. had been recording himself playing and singing American Pie on the gee-tar with this same device. (Why? God knows).
Well somehow the play button was depressed mid-health class, and the thoroughly old-school Mr. Jordan looked exasperatedly about for the offender, expecting one of the degenerates but finding ass-kisser Geoelh instead, who could not turn it off fast enough. This was before cell phones, yo: this kind of interruption was rare indeed.
So I sympathize with the reporter guy, and also with Bloomie in a way (Mr. Jordan was a competent guy;). But would one of those other scribe hacks have had the mensa to help things along, maybe pick up the jacket or whatever? Cripes, press corps! Get your shit together!
you know who else is in a wheelchair? Mr. christopher reeves. I hope the mayor's daughter won't ever need one. one never knows in the world of sports.
They buried Christopher Reeve in his wheelchair? Wow, that's cold.
Bloomberg is one cold piece of $hit. he gets richer and the city gets poorer, we can't afford another 4 years.
MEGOLOMANIC
when will you stupid New Yorkers realize it?
After it's too late is my guess.
LOL, I know this day was important for Bloomberg but no need to be a douchebag, he should just come out already.
DoucheBerg
Why couldn't one of this guy's colleagues pick up his tape recorder? Maybe they're even bigger dicks than Bloomberg?
This is exactly what I thought, it took almost a full minute to pick up and turn off the recorder. The room was packed with people.
Speaker Quinn, "hes disabled". Who cares? Your a reporter at a major press conference, no free passes.
And why is NYC providing him with transportation in a special van for all press events??? Shouldn't this be provided by his employer or himself.
Bloomberg's dramatic response to the lack of control a reporter had over his tape recorder has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that the reporter is physically disabled.
Bloomberg shouldn't apologize to the reporter.
Harris should get over his embarrassment of being singled out. It was, afterall, his recorder that was interrupting the conference.
Maybe Harris should apologize.
What a non-surprise. This mayor treats most New Yorkers, especially the middle class, as a nuisance. For the love of New York, we need to vote in a new mayor. It is only a lack of democratic strength that we allow a billionare to lead this city; he retains power due to our own weakness.
that's odd because his new mayoral ad is for protecting the middle class and to keep them in NYC.
and again bloomberg shows his callousness. that's not news.
we just need to keep hammering at this trait 24-7 and I'm going to do just that.
he can take his bomber jacket up his ass.
are the horse jumping championship coming up yet. must be careful.
Bloomberg's disregard for the disabled didn't surprise me at all. Bloomberg stripped disabled and retired New York City managers of prescription drug benefits three years ago. My partner now has to spend 1/3 of his city pension to pay for life saving medications. When I personally confronted Bloomberg about hitting the disabled in the wallet, Bloomberg scowled and smirked at me. The only thing Bloomberg really cares about is getting elected again.