Not One But Two Asterisks

For a public figure, the prospect of earning a third opportunity to perform the second-toughest job in America brings with it a spine-stiffening sense of honor and the narcotic-like thrill of self-sacrifice. But this is not to say that spending more money than Ross Perot to accomplish that feat in any way betrays signs of weakness:

Michael R. Bloomberg, the Wall Street mogul whose fortune catapulted him into New York’s City Hall, has set another staggering financial record: He has now spent more of his own money than any other individual in United States history in the pursuit of public office.

Newly released campaign records show the mayor, as of Friday, had spent $85 million on his latest re-election campaign, and is on pace to spend between $110 million and $140 million before the election on Nov. 3.

That means Mr. Bloomberg, in his three bids for mayor, will have easily burned through more than $250 million — the equivalent of what Warner Brothers spent on the latest Harry Potter movie.

The sum easily surpasses what other titans of business have spent to seek state or federal office. New Jersey’s Jon S. Corzine has plunked down a total of $130 million in two races for governor and one for United States Senate. Steve Forbes poured $114 million into his two bids for president. And Ross Perot spent $65 million in his quest for the White House in 1992 and $10 million four years later.

. . .

He has spent at least 14 times what his Democratic rival in the race, William C. Thompson Jr., has: $6 million.

The heady display of overwhelming force also provokes adulation from supporters and admirers:

The Sanitation Department reported yesterday that Thompson’s campaign is facing a hefty $125,775 bill for plastering city property with 1,677 illegal campaign posters.

. . .

In contrast to Thompson, Bloomberg’s campaign has been cited for 70 violations.

See also: Bloomberg For Mayor 2009.

No, This Is Not A Metaphor For The Team’s Game 5 Meltdown

“Cracks Emerge in Ramps at New Yankee Stadium”:

The concrete pedestrian ramps at the brand-new $1.5 billion city-subsidized Yankee Stadium have been troubled by cracks, and the team is seeking to determine whether the problems were caused by the installation, the design, the concrete or other factors, according to several people briefed on the problems.

The ramps were built by a company accused of having links to the mob, and the concrete mix was designed and tested by a company under indictment on charges that it failed to perform some tests and falsified the results of others. But it is unclear whether work performed by either firm contributed to the deteriorating conditions of the ramps.

. . .

One person with knowledge of the matter said the cracks and deterioration were unusual.

Location Scout: New Yankee Stadium.

Mayor’s Five Borough Campaign Goes According To Plan

And don’t think he doesn’t make every effort to get to all five boroughs:

On Oct. 11, Bloomberg parachuted (not literally) into Morris Park for a brief march in the annual Columbus Day Parade. Thompson didn’t make it. Before the mayor jumped back into his black SUV, he was heckled by about a dozen protesters (and one dog) upset with the city’s opening (without community notification) of several new homeless shelters in the borough, according to reporter David Greene.

John Bonizio, of the Westchester Square Merchants Association, called Bloomberg a “traitor,” adding, “His coming up to this middle class neighborhood to march in a parade for votes is disrespecting us, with what he’s getting ready to do to this neighborhood.”

See also: Bloomberg For Mayor 2009.

High Five, Up High, Down Low, Too Slow!

Deep down, we are all that 7-year-old Staten Island girl:

After the press conference, Bloomberg attempted to give a high-five to a 7-year-old girl — but was rebuffed. “She left him hanging,” laughs an eyewitness.

See also: Bloomberg For Mayor 2009.

As The Big Boys Once Said, Now Go Start Your Own Band!

The Times’ Clyde Haberman* notes the selective quoting from certain endorsements for certain mayoral candidates:

Take an endorsement of the mayor issued this week by Citizens Union, often described as a good-government group, as if there were bad-government groups. (Hang on, there is one. We almost forgot about Albany.)

A news release from the Bloomberg campaign announcing the endorsement cited its praise of mayoral actions on crime, education, public health and technological innovation.

Somehow, it omitted other noteworthy points. Like the group’s disapproval of the billionaire mayor’s rewriting of the term limits law to turn himself into Bloomberg L.P.: Long Playing. Like the displeasure with his “excessive” — an adjective that some others have used is “obscene” — campaign spending.

The cherry-picking would do a Broadway press agent proud.

Which made me think — all of us should selectively quote from those Soviet-like editorial endorsements that have been rolling out lately. Today, for example, there’s the Post:

No doubt, some New Yorkers are angry about how Mayor Mike used his considerable resources to having them set aside to allow him to run again. It was a characteristic display of Bloombergian hubris, and we suspect that it will cost him on Election Day.

It’s all much better this way! Now we can make believe that there’s still sanity left at the editorial boards across the city.

See also: Bloomberg For Mayor 2009.

*Don’t not click through to his column; there’s a provocative claim of racial coding on the part of Bloomberg with his recent Detroit warning.