(photo: http://video.foxbusiness.com)

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio rolled out a request to one of his mayoral rivals yesterday, Comptroller John Liu, calling on him to divest the city's public pension funds from the gun industry.

The 2013 primary date doesn't seem especially likely to be moved from September, but it is apparently still in the works: "State Sen. Marty Golden, whom the city Board of Elections identified as its point person in the state Senate, said he had not been unpersuaded that the date must be moved to June. He said the Senate would likely hold hearings on the subject very soon."

In case you're wondering, Senator-elect Terry Gipson was never interested in joining the Independent Democratic Conference. "No," he answered when asked if he even considered it for a "split second" on Capital Tonight.  “No, no. It just doesn't make any sense to me. I ran on a very Democratic platform, I was elected as a Democrat. People expected me to conference with the Democrats. I just don't think it makes sense to do anything else. I also think that the Democratic conference is the freshest and newest place to be."

Stu Loeser, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's former press secretary, said Democrats continue losing City Hall because they “consistently nominate candidates who are unelectable in the fall elections." Mr. Loeser was rather bullish on M.T.A. Chairman Joe Lhota's chances as well, adding, “His entry into the race immediately pulls the Democratic field in the center and makes the issue of electability absolutely central."

Mr. de Blasio's campiagn spokeswoman claimed his odds are winning are better than ever, arguing, “Joe Lhota’s candidacy will further clarify for voters that Bill de Blasio is the clear progressive alternative for 2013.”

The New York Post is a fan of Mr. Lhota's mayoral bid, and slammed one of Council Speaker Christine Quinn's consultants for daring to criticize the M.T.A.'s fare increases.

But perhaps not everyone is as supportive of Mr. Lhota:

"One person whose support Lhota won’t be receiving is Mayor Bloomberg.

According to a City Hall source, Bloomberg dislikes him, especially after Lhota said the mayor acted 'like an idiot' when Hizzoner speculated on the reopening of the Queens Midtown Tunnel after Hurricane Sandy."

We missed this from yesterday, but Upper West Side City Council candidate Ken Biberaj had an amusing exchange with Post columnist Cindy Adams, where one point of order was: “Albanians own Sparks, Ben & Jack’s, many in the restaurant community. They are eager to help. None of my funding comes from any political party.”