As promised, former NYC mayor Ed Koch endorsed Republican Bob Turner yesterday for Anthony Weiner's seat in the 9th District special election on September 13, but it probably didn't go down as Turner wanted it to. According to the Daily News, Koch blasted the GOP for their handling of the debt ceiling crisis: "I think the Republicans are scoundrels in the way they're handling the matter." Turner tried to put on a happy face: "That's vintage Ed." He's a great man. I'm not going to take issue with a couple of political shots in the grand scheme of things." Presumably Turner then said, "Haha! 'Scoundrels!' Ed can I talk to you in private for a second?"
Also not a surprise: Koch nakedly admitting to endorsing Turner over Democratic Assemblyman David Weprin, who is an Orthodox Jew, to punish President Obama over his policy with Israel and the Middle East. "If David Weprin in elected, you think that sends a message?" Koch said at the Howard Beach news conference. "You think the Democratic Party is going to say, 'Oh, gee, David Weprin was elected, we've got to get into shape.' If Bob Turner is elected with these same issues, it means something." Ed, when you're speaking about Democrats on behalf of Republicans, remember to drop the -ic, and say "Democrat Party." It's that folksy hatred that keeps the base comin'!
Koch's endorsements of Republicans over the years are a mixed bag: Bloomberg won, Dan Donovan lost. But following this performance, Koch will just wait by the phone and watch the endorsement requests to roll in!
