“Metzitzah B’Peh” Is Yiddish For “Tremendous Suckup”

The mayor who can be all things to all constituencies — including many seeming non-“progressive” ones, provided they deliver enough votes — perfects his “wondrous rhetorical two-step”:

“First of all, I do not want to get into theoreticals,” he replied. “I did not hear the comments clearly.”

Did not hear, got no time, bye-bye. Mr. de Blasio, who once dodged out the door rather than face questions about his driver’s running a stop sign, has an aversion to being pinned down.

The Observer reporter pressed on. Would you have spoken up had you heard the rabbi’s specific remarks?

“With all due respect, my friend,” he began — the mayor’s use of “my friend” was more like a hurricane siren than a sign of bonhomie — “I did not hear the comments clearly.”

He added that he had “not seen a transcript” and that it was “really theoretical” to ask “someone” these sort of questions. “I just think that’s not fair,” he said.