Donde Esta La Boleta?

Hizzoner truly has an intrinsic love of learning and self-betterment:

On his recent jaunt to Mexico, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg fielded questions from Mexican reporters and, to the surprise of many, responded in Spanish.

People who have closely followed Mr. Bloomberg’s political career know that he has been studying the language for several years, and have listened as he has sporadically stumbled over it on the campaign trail.

But according to aides, this was one of the first times the mayor took his gradually acquired proficiency for an extended spin in public.

Mr. Bloomberg’s persistence in learning a language spoken by at least a quarter of all New Yorkers would not help him in another mayoral election; term limits prevent him from running again. But as he is increasingly mentioned as a potential presidential candidate, his ability to properly conjugate verbs in Spanish, along with his views on issues like immigration, could help endear him to Hispanic voters across the country.

. . .

While his accent was pronounced and he sometimes rolled right over the emphasis of certain syllables, a Univision correspondent who covered his Mexico visit was impressed enough to pause during a news conference that followed to compliment the mayor, drawing applause from the Mexican journalists present.

“We’ve been covering you for many years now and it’s pretty good,” said Antonio Martínez, a reporter and anchor with Noticias 41 Univision, New York.

“I have a lot to learn,” the mayor responded in English.

Later that day the mayor, who has been studying since about 2000, spent more than an hour conversing in Spanish with his Mexico City counterpart, Marcelo Ebrard, on complex issues ranging from crime to social programs, again forgoing the use of an interpreter.

Some native Spanish-speaking journalists present privately tittered at Mr. Bloomberg’s accent. But his proficiency seems to have come a long way from just two years ago, when his Spanish-language television ads drew some derision from Spanish instructors, including his former tutor.

Y el tren 7 es muy interesante:

Aides to Mr. Bloomberg said he continues to study at least an hour a day and continues to work with private tutors.

“Sometimes he’ll take a tutor with him if he’s going to Flushing on the 7 train,” said his spokesman, Stu Loeser.