Ads run by the New York City Health Department to combat smoking and obesity can be harsh, depending on whether or not you bruise like a banana in a stiff breeze. Following the relative failures of national anti-cigarette and anti-drug campaigns, the Times asks, do scare tactics work? And do the city's ads qualify as "scary?" "The definition of a scare tactic is a non-credible risk message," Steve Pasierb, the president of the Partnership at Drugfree.org says. Can someone please tell the people at Five Gum that? more ›

Mayor Bloomberg's right hand man is leaving his job at City Hall—so he can work for Bloomberg LP. Deputy Mayor for Government Affairs Kevin Sheekey will return to the Mayor's media company, where he worked from 1997 to 2001, to take a post advising Bloomberg on his acclaimed "philanthropic efforts." more ›

Even though Mayor Bloomberg says he might be forced to lay off 18,500 city workers—including 8,500 teachers, 3,150 police officers, and 1,050 firefighters—he has hired 15 members of his campaign staff. The Times notes that as the Mayor calls for "a leaner government that reflects the economic downturn, he is finding money in the budget for those who engineered his unexpectedly close re-election," paying many of the City Hall newcomers six-figure salaries and allowing several other city workers who left their jobs to work on the campaign to return to their posts with higher pay. more ›

Basking in the spotlight today, Mayor Bloomberg said he has "no plans" to run for president, despite having hired Howard Wolfson, Hillary Clinton's former campaign media strategist. When a reporter questioned the mayor's presidential aspirations Bloomberg responded, "I can't believe you're even asking," with an oh-so innocent smile, "There's no other political reason for him, whatsoever." But AP reported that Bloomberg "appeared to enjoy the speculation," which may even be why he brought Wolfson on to begin with. As he did during the mayor's 2008 election campaign, Wolfson will dazzle and distract us, just when we were losing patience with the calorie counts and agency swaps. more ›

Campaign consultant Howard Wolfson once called Mayor Bloomberg "out of touch," but now the sweater-clad, indie rock loving ex-Clinton strategist is ready to join the administration, sources say. Wolfson—who worked on Bloomberg's reelection campaign in 2009—will now take a $300,000 pay-cut to leave national politics and come serve the city he grew up in. more ›

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! more ›

more ›

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama march into tonight's Ohio debate with their arms swinging over a 2006 photograph of Obama visiting Kenya. The Obama campaign blamed the Clinton campaign for "shameful" tactics, while the Clinton campaign denied responsibility and said the Obama campaign should be "ashamed" of thinking the photo would be controversial. more ›

In an echo of its 2006 article about her Senate re-election campaign spending, the NY Times finds Hillary Clinton donors are concerned over her campaign's spending. Some of the line items that emerged after her campaign finance report was published: $100,000 in party platters and shovels for Iowa caucus parties (where Clinton placed third - and where it did not snow), $25,000 in hotel rooms at Las Vegas' Bellagio, $275,000 to a South Carolina firm "that was supposed to turn out black voters for her" (Barack Obama won SC by almost 30%) and $267,000 for adviser Howard Wolfson's January fee. more ›

Yet another example of foot-in-mouth syndrome due to the hours of punditry on TV, followed by an apology and suspension! Yesterday, while referring to Chelsea Clinton's campaigning on behalf of her mother, MSNBC correspondent David Shuster commented, "Doesn't it seem as if Chelsea is sort of being pimped out in some weird sort of way?" Yes, he totally said that. Or, as the Washington Post's Howard Kurtz writes, "Using a prostitution metaphor for the daughter of a presidential candidate is a surefire way for a journalist to get into trouble." more ›

The LA Times invaded the Big Apple to investigate the amazing fund-raising power of Hillary Clinton in Chinatown. The leading 2008 Democratic contender was able to raise $380,000 during one April fund-raiser - and back in 2004, John Kerry was only able to raise $24,000. more ›

Senator Barack Obama is coming back to New York City today, for some late TV night face time AND to raise even more money. While Senator Hillary Clinton's camp is playing it cool and Clinton strategist Howard Wolfson telling the Daily News, "We're thrilled with our hometown support," the Post lists all the former Clinton donors who are now supporting Obama. more ›

Newsday has an interesting look at the parking-meters-during-church issue, aka "pay to pray," and how it's affecting Mayor Bloomberg. To remind everyone, Ferrer said that churchgoers should not be expected to pay parking meters on Sundays, because it's a day of worship, while the Mayor pointed out that Sunday revenue has been critical...needless to say, this has galvanized churchgoers. Mayor Bloomberg has conceded that they'll look into 2-hour meters in some areas, but, of course, opponents are pulling for more. Democratic political consultant Howard Wolfson says, "Look, it does not rise to the level of citywide importance as education or the stadium. That being said, it is clearly important to many churchgoing New Yorkers...It becomes just another proof point that he's an out-of-touch billionaire." Mayor Koch says the Mayor needs to drive home the issue more (it's true, the Mayor does seem to have danced around it, while Ferrer and church leaders are sounding off to the press), and even some other politicians agree that the parking meter revenue has helped. more ›