Mayor Bloomberg chose the members of a new commission that will study and revise the city charter [PDF]—the document that outlines how New York City government works. According to the Times, the 15-member panel of "longtime loyalists, educators, political operatives and community leaders" will study the document and suggest changes, which could include reinstating two-term limits on city politicians, encouraging nonpartisan elections, and abolishing the city's public advocate and borough presidents. more ›

After spending years of his life and over four million of his dollars to impose term limits on NYC politicians, cosmetics heir Ron Lauder has had a sudden change of heart, giving a major boost to Bloomberg's plans to run for a third term as mayor. As late as last Friday, Lauder's organization, New Yorkers for Term Limits, was fighting any change to the city's term limit laws. Now Lauder says the financial crisis convinced him there should be a one-time-only term limits change to accommodate Bloomberg. The Daily News marvels at his sudden reversal, and looks suspiciously in the direction of elite insider Howard Rubenstein, who brought the two billionaires together for a meeting last week. In a New Yorker story last year, Lauder's older brother Leonard said Rubenstein is "like an absolutely one hundred per cent legitimate godfather." more ›