Results tagged “anthonyweiner”

A week after Mayor Bloomberg's narrower-than-expected victory, Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-Brooklyn/Queens) has come out of the woodwork claiming that he could have defeated the incumbent. The Congressman — who abandoned his short-lived Mayoral campaign in May — claims that in order to win, Bloomberg would have needed to spend at least $150 million (about $50 million more than the Mayor's record-breaking campaign expenditures).

Mayor Bloomberg's narrower-than-expected election win over Comptroller Bill Thompson has left people wondering not only what could have been if Thompson got more support but what might have happened if Rep. Anthony Weiner had run against Bloomberg instead. Politico reports that when Weiner said last night that maybe President Obama should have stumped for Thompson, “Maybe one of those Corzine trips could have been better spent in New York. Who knows?" a White House official fired back, "Maybe Anthony Weiner should have manned-up and run against Michael Bloomberg."

This morning Rep. Anthony Weiner met former New York Lieutenant Governor (and current insane person) Betsy McCaughey on MSNBC's Morning Meeting to debate yell about health care. Though Weiner and McCuaghey had their moments, most of the horn-locking happened between her and host Dylan Ratigan, who would not stop demanding she answer his question: How do you get insurance companies to compete instead of monopolizing markets with antitrust exemptions. Or, as Ratigan puts it, how do we "put an end to corporate communism?" Skip ahead to the four minute mark, when the fireworks get started.

The upcoming Yom Kippur sure has been a day of atonement for event planners. After an official protest from Congressman Anthony Weiner, Major League Baseball and ESPN have switched back the starting time of the final regular season Yankees-Red Sox matchup September 27th, that originally had been moved to after sundown on the high holy day so that it could reach a wider television audience. The brouhaha over the conflict comes on the heels of both the Jets and U2 having to scramble their schedules for the same reason.

At a health care reform town hall in Fresh Meadows Wednesday, one angry attendee warned Anthony Weiner, "Last time I looked this is still America—not China, not Russia, not Cuba," and last night in Midwood the congressman got more of the same. During a noontime meeting at the Council Center for Senior Citizens, one elderly constituent opined, "It's a Socialist country!" The crowd cheered, for surely all in attendance proudly refuse such "Socialist" handouts as Social Security and Medicare. But the bigger issue yesterday was that the meeting delayed the center's lunch service. Hungry retired postal worker David Figman told the Daily News, "I came to eat and I came to eat on time. They are having chicken marsala today and the food is good." More seniors grew impatient as the meeting dragged on past 12:15, and 61-year-old Linda Lefton fumed, "Usually our lunch starts at noon. I think he is going to cause us to delay our lunch. That's no good." 76-year-old Albert Fink moaned, "I'm just hungry." Finally, administrators interceded to end the forum at 12:22 p.m., but it makes ya' wonder: Why is Obama trying to euthanize seniors with forced starvation?

These health care town hall forums make for great television, what with all the red faced patriots eager to water the tree of liberty and save America's seniors from Obamacare death panels. So why would Anthony Weiner try to stop TV news crews from documenting last night's raucous health care meeting at the IBEW hall in Fresh Meadows? CBS 2 says Weiner's aides told them they couldn't come in, and when the congressman arrived, he got "snippy" with the camera crew, telling them, "This isn't for Channel 2. This is for my constituents."

News about the potential shuttering of post offices across the city is drawing scrutiny from politicians and residents, who are both upset and skeptical about the Postal Service's announcement. After a list of 53 post offices under consideration for closing was released—and then amended to include only 14 locations—the NY Times reports today that many just flat-out don't believe the USPS is cutting back on the cut-backs. Says New York postal union President Clarice Torrence, "On station closings they’ve always been very deceptive...If they amended the list they would let me know." Rep. Anthony Weiner, meanwhile, points to the closings confusion as an example of Newman-style post office ineptitude: "The way the U.S.P.S. has released information in dribs and drabs, it’s no wonder that they have been losing business." That loss of business is the main reason for the $7 billion budget hole facing the USPS this year—with too little mail and too many branches, USPS officials are hoping that enough closings might help the service "become more efficient."

The 2009 campaign season may have left us with the distinct impression that Congressman Anthony Weiner is a bit of a tease, but apparently Weiner was just playing Gotham's Democratic voters while he was actually doing groundwork on the sole endorsement he was aiming for—from girlfriend Huma Abedin. Weiner and Abedin, the Hillary Clinton aide whom the News calls "glamorous" and "a linchpin of Clinton's entourage," just went public, but it turns out the proposal happened right around the time Weiner backed out of the mayoral race with an allusion to wanting to "start a family." The pair got outed in a NYT piece on former Clinton strategist and current Bloomberg campaign mastermind Howard Wolfson who dropped the "f" bomb (the other one) when referring to the two. The possible future Huma Weiner has apparently been courted by John Cusack and George Clooney in the past, which we believe beats his links to foreign models. She also happens to be Muslim, to which Gawker says "maybe he will be less of an asshole now." How sweet!

With Rep. Anthony Weiner officially deciding not to run for mayor this year, that leaves NYC Comptroller William Thompson as the leading candidate in the Democratic primary. City Council member Tony Avella (D-Queens) is still running; a NY1 poll shows Thompson would beat Avella by 30 points. Thompson said of challenging Mayor Bloomberg, "This race isn't over. If anything, this race is just beginning. I think the mayor, in spending $20 million this early, is trying to create a distorted sense of reality. He's trying to let you believe that he can't be beat. The truth is, talk to New Yorkers, they want somebody new. They want someone who will stand up and fight for them." Bloomberg, naturally, disagrees, telling reporters, "If you have a good message, people are going to be responsive. It’s not money. It’s whether or not you have something to say. It’s the substance." And a Daily News editorial says the city's Democrats don't seem to have a message against Bloomberg.

In an Op-Ed in today's Times explaining his aborted mayoral campaign, Rep. Anthony Weiner explains that, unsurprisingly, Mayor Bloomberg's godly fortune had a little something to do with it: "The Supreme Court decision in 1976 in Buckley v. Valeo, which allows candidates to spend however much they want on their own races, makes it possible for billionaires to swamp middle-class candidates. In this case, a sports analogy is apt: If one football team has 110 players on the field, the team with 11 has a hard time getting through the blocking and tackling on the crowded turf."

After suspending his mayoral campaign in March, representative Anthony Weiner has decided to drop out of the race for the Democratic nomination, according to a scoop in City Hall News. Democratic Party officials have been increasingly throwing their support behind Controller William Thompson—with the notable exception of Long Island Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy, a Democrat, who today announced her endorsement of Mayor Bloomberg. Weiner spent Memorial Day weekend attending three parades, a burst of activity that could have been interpreted as campaign appearances, but a source tells City Hall News that Weiner will formally announce his withdrawal tomorrow. His exact reasons for dropping out are not yet known, but Bloomberg's God-like affluence certainly played a factor. Though the Post had been gleefully attacking the six-term congressman in recent months, it's doubtful their smears broke his will to run; as the Daily News puts it, Weiner "wakes up in the morning looking for a fight." His withdrawal leaves just Thompson and Council Member Tony Avella to fight over the Democratic nomination.

There was some talk about a year ago that upon finishing out his second and final term, Mayor Bloomberg's plans were to ride off into the sunset and begin pouring some of the many millions he had accumulated into the philanthropic causes supported by his foundation. In the time since, Bloomberg has in fact found a way to open the vault on his fortune at a record pace—into winning an election that no one seems to believe will even be close. With a financial report filed this weekend, Bloomberg has already spent $18.7 million on his campaign for a third term, twice what he had spent at this point in 2005. It's also nearly ten times what challenger Bill Thompson has spent and triple what any possible contender can spend until September under campaign finance regulations. A public affairs expert tells the Times, “There appears to be very little downside to this kind of spending...It’s a shock-and-awe approach.” The paper also calls the mayor's treatment suspiciously harsh treatment of Anthony Weiner (who's not even in the race!) "a thuggish cast to Mr. Bloomberg’s Park Avenue-style campaign."

Mayor Bloomberg rolled out his first television commercials of his campaign today, almost six weeks prior to when he hit the airwaves in his 2005 run. With the $3 million he's pouring into the ads, that run in both English and Spanish on major networks over the next two weeks, Bloomberg will be spending half of his competitors' total individual budgets for the primary season since they are accepting public financing. The Times says that Bloomberg's could be "the biggest and most expensive political advertising campaign in the city’s history."

Last July 4th word came out that the Statue of Liberty's crown may have a shot at reopening, after being closed off to the public following 9/11. Now the Daily News reports that, according to Interior Secretary Ken Salazar (who visited the crown in January), the grand reopening could take place on America's 233rd birthday.

Now that Rep. Anthony Weiner appears to be rethinking running for mayor this year—"At the beginning of the summer when Congress takes a break, I will look at the lay of the land again and try to determine the best political course"—it's a new 2009 game. A Democratic showdown between Weiner, who narrowly lost the 2005 primary to Fernando Ferrer (Weiner also won points for not insisting on a run-off), and City Comptroller Bill Thompson was expected this summer; the NY Times reports that his "sudden — and very public — ambivalence could significantly reshape the campaign," especially since Weiner was considered threat to Mayor Bloomberg's campaign (Weiner was very vocal in his opposition to the term limits extension). Democratic consultant George Arzt tells the Post he doesn't think Weiner will run, "He's leaving because he'll lose. He doesn't have the money to go up against $80 million," the figure Bloomberg is reportedly bidding on another four years. As for Thompson's and Bloomberg's campaign spokespeople, they took the time to pounce

Last October, Almond, the unpretentious French bistro that's become a Bridgehampton hotspot, boldly expanded to Manhattan with an outpost in the Flatiron district. But even before the city's economy drifted into its current deep funk, chef/co-owner Jason Weiner faced a daunting task: finding a way to fill the massive East 22nd Street space that's been the ruin of many a restaurateur, including Rocco DiSpirito’s Rocco's, Jeffrey Chodorow’s Caviar & Bananas, and Borough Food & Drink.

The Post is all excited and "EXCLUSIVE" in a "report" on campaign donations made by foreign models to Representative Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign. Back in June, not long after Weiner made headlines by pushing for visa changes to make it easier for foreign models to work here, a fundraiser was held for his campaign at Merkato 55. According to the Post, the gala was co-hosted by an immigration lawyer whose firm represents some of the top modeling agencies, and several foreign models in attendance made donations ranging from $300 to $500. That's illegal—not because Weiner is rallying to their cause—but because they're not citizens. Weiner's spokesman says it was a simple mistake; they never even deposited the checks, which were returned months ago, and one the models doesn't actually recall attending the party (no surprise there). So why is the Post even talking about this? Because who can resist a headline like, "Weiner's Naughty Hottie$" Certainly not us!

The Daily News performed a hilarious survey to see whether a hundred people in downtown Brooklyn know who City Comptroller William Thompson and Representative Anthony Weiner—the two Democrats likely to battle it out for the 2009 mayoral nomination—are. Armed with photographs of the two men, reporters asked folks if they could identify the subjects. The findings? Answers like "They look familiar. I've seen them, but I can't remember their names." Apparently 20 recognized City Comptroller Thompson while "29 [were] able to identify" Rep. Weiner "but three people thought he was former New Jersey Gov. Jim McGreevey." One woman said, "That's Spitzer. No, wait, it's the gay governor from New Jersey, McGreevey." But Thompson and Weiner shouldn't worry—there's still, what, seven months till the primary.

Fancy that: After kicking open the doors to a third term bid, Mayor Bloomberg's approval rating has gone up to 69%, from 66% in November, according to a new Quinnipiac poll. Quinnipiac points out this "puts him back on a track of 69 percent or higher approval ratings in every other poll since he began his second term." Interestingly enough, respondents still approved of term limits 69-25% and disapproved of the City Council's decision to extend them 56-42% (they just seem like to Mayor Bloomberg?).

It appears that various members of local and state government have lost their cool with the Yankees and their struggles to finance their soon to open new stadium without the additional financial assistance. City Comptroller William Thompson came out swinging with the harshest rhetoric yesterday when discussing the ongoing state of the project stating, "Costs don't go up that dramatically in that period of time. Either someone did that intentionally or it is the worst job of management that I have ever seen."

Guess what makes Mayor Bloomberg super-annoyed these days? Any mention of Representative Anthony Weiner!

While the term limits extension legislation was passed by the City Council last week, the public does have the chance to speak up when Mayor Bloomberg signs the bill on Monday. Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum points out, "The voices mainly heard on this subject were elected officials and the newspapers themselves. Contrary to what some are saying, there was very little opportunity for public input or dialogue... That's why I urge New Yorkers to use their last chance on Monday to speak face to face with the mayor before he signs the term limits bill."

Anthony Weiner continues to prove more than willing to bear the torch as the most vocal leader against extending term limits. Weiner says that the issue has helped him find his voice as a populist representative during this nascent stage in the 2009 battle for City Hall. Weiner says of the back room deals leading to the mayor's proposal are a return to the days of Boss Tweed. He also calls Speaker Quinn's term limits support "the mother of all back room deals" and says that the two can "never again...talk about their desire to reform government." Not only does he think the plan will be defeated, Weiner--no lack of bravado here-- even claims that come Election Day 2009, Bloomberg “would find himself voting for me.” The Times says that his march against term limit extensions is "vintage Weiner, who is known for outresearching, outpoliticking and out-fund-raising his opponents...and it also bears his trademark self-certainty."

A day after City Council Speaker Christine Quinn officially proclaimed her support to support extending term limits from two to three terms, the backlash and uncertainty continues to grow. Mayor Bloomberg's team has apparently been looking for support from unions and religious leaders. Right now, NY1's count of City Council members says 15 members support it, 18 are opposed, and 18 are undecided (26 votes are needed to pass the bill).

The Observer has video of Representative Anthony Weiner trying to make a Sarah Palin joke. But it's just terrible (and terribly sexist): Referring to the VP debate, Weiner says, "Undeniably, undeniably, we saw a vice presidential candidate who had nice legs. I won’t dispute that... but we also saw a vice-presidential candidate who tried to explain her running mate’s health care position.”

extend term limits to three. Second, she wouldn't run, "If term limits are extended to 12 years from 8 years, no, I would not run for mayor." As for other mentioned 2009 hopefuls, City Comptroller Bill Thompson's campaign is still "moving forward" and Representative Anthony Weiner, who narrowly lost the 2005 Democratic primary to Freddy Ferrer, is still interested in running and said there should be a special election for term limits.

All but one of NYC's representatives in Congress voted for the $700 billion bailout package that failed in the House of Representatives yesterday (Bronx Democrat Jose Serrano voted against it).

Yesterday, Representative Anthony Weiner made headlines for his anti-big box stance and his praise of Mayor Bloomberg, which was a little odd, since Weiner often criticizes him, or just timed to coincide with Weiner accelerating his mayoral aspirations. Today, the NY Times looks at how he has the highest staff turnover for anyone in the NY House delegation in recent years. For instance, "Roughly half of Mr. Weiner’s current staff has been on board for less than a year," raising questions about whether his hard-charging, micro-managing style will work at City Hall. Weiner believes he'll be a fair boss and some former staffers still support and praise him, but one said, “People joke that two years of Chuck [Schumer] equals one year of Anthony."

At a breakfast forum this morning, Representative Anthony Weiner – a likely mayoral candidate – handed out a 5,000 word manifesto about how he would keep the city affordable for the middle class. The Sun has it that Weiner also used his half-hour speech to criticize the proliferation of big-box chains in New York, wondering, “What is the value of having a Wal-Mart on Queens Boulevard that wipes out economic development on the rest of Queens Boulevard. What is the value of saving 15 or 20% on that pair of jeans, in terms of creating jobs for the rest of Queens?” But the congressman also stressed that he's a "middle-class New Yorker.” And later: “I’m cheap.”

Yesterday, Representatives Anthony Weiner and Nydia Velazquez held a press conference to ask the EPA to name Newtown Creek a Superfund site. The lawmakers want federal funding to speed up the slow progress on the cleanup of millions of gallons of oil that began in the 1940s and 1950s. Weiner said in his press conference that if the current rate of cleanup were to continue, it might not be done until 2026.