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Bloomberg Fears Jobless Rabble Will Riot, Supports Obama On Israel
By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 16, 2011
Modified Sep 16, 2011
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By
John Del Signore
Published Sep 16, 2011
Modified Sep 16, 2011
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During his weekly radio address this morning, Mayor Bloomberg looked into his crystal ball and saw a grim, violent future if the masses don't get a job. "We have a lot of kids graduating college, can't find jobs," Bloomberg said. "That's what happened in Cairo. That's what happened in Madrid. You don't want those kinds of riots here." Especially not if you live in one of those extravagant mansions that angry mobs just loooove burning down, amirite Mike? The mayor then went on to voice his qualified support for Obama's jobs bill, acknowledging that "at least he's got some ideas on the table, whether you like those or not." Hopefully those ideas include federal funding for fireproof panic rooms.
This morning's interview marked the second straight day of Bloomberg backing up Barry, whom the mayor has previously described as arrogant (at least, that's how the ever-reliable Rupert Murdoch remembers it). At a press conference yesterday, Bloomberg was asked for his thoughts on Obama's Israel policy, which some believe cost the Democrats the special election for Anthony Weiner's old disrict. Bloomberg told reporters that he himself is "strongly connected" with Israel, adding, "I think there’s nothing the president’s done or said that gives me pause to think he doesn’t understand and feel the same way." With any luck, a presidential golfing invitation is forthcoming.
Bloomberg also suggested that, heh, former Mayor Ed Koch should give Obama some Israel input. “I’ll leave it to him, with some input from Ed Koch — which I’m sure Ed would be happy to give him — in terms of what’s an appropriate negotiation strategy for the Israelis, the Palestinians, the Americans, the United Nations and everybody else that has a vested interest." Indeed, Koch tells the Times that two weeks before the election, he was contacted by someone in the Obama administration who wanted to know "what it is that I felt aggrieved about."
Many analysts say Koch was pivotal in swinging the special election to the Republican Bob Turner. "Koch started the parade, and everyone followed after him,” Hank Sheinkopf, a Democratic consultant, tells the Times. "He was able to pick up the tenor of the moment, and his intensity and his excitement was contagious." And Koch says he's not about to stop the parade now that he's got the momentum going! The former mayor is going to make sure Israel is a major issue in the presidential race. "In fact," says Koch, "If it doesn’t work out that the president changes his position, I certainly will [go to Florida and talk to Jewish voters there]."
Tagged
bloomberg
economy
ed koch
israel
jobs
recession
riots
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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