When In Doubt, Blame The Speechwriter

Sure, it’s always the speechwriter:

“Frank,” he called out to his speechwriter, Frank Barry. “I hope this speech goes better than the one you wrote for me at the Irish Historical Society. I mean really, what were you thinking?”

The throng of Irish leaders who had gathered to start off the St. Patrick’s Day celebration laughed. The mayor appeared to have tamed the mini-tempest that threatened to hang over the day: the bad joke he made last month about seeing “totally inebriated” Irish people hanging out a window at past parades.

But even on an unusually lovely afternoon, lingering touchiness over the gibe followed Mr. Bloomberg along the Fifth Avenue parade route like a stubborn storm cloud, showing itself in occasional comments from the stands, lusty boos shouted from windows and a handmade sign held up a block from St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

“Bloomberg … You’re a Drunk!” it read.