(photo: cityroom.nytimes.com)

Ruh-Roh Headline of the Day: "Solicitations by Liu Aide to Be Focus in Fraud Case."

Fresh off complimenting an unnamed lady's "ass," Mayor Michael Bloomberg has moved on to complimenting a named gentleman's "balls," Vice President Joe Biden's to be exact. “You know, Joe Biden — you can joke about him all you want, [but] he’s got a set of balls, and he says what he believes,” Mr. Bloomberg told POLITICO. “I’m sure the president was evolving and was about to do it anyways. But Biden deserves the credit. He should be the hero of the pro-gay marriage community.”

Seeking to expand his footprint in Washington, Mr. Bloomberg has also retained multiple federal lobbyists and ramped up electoral efforts in the special election to replace former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., in Chicago. In particular, Mr. Bloomberg is targeting one of the candidates, former Rep. Debbie Halvorson, for her insufficient support of gun control. In response, Ms. Halvorson promptly distanced herself from the N.R.A.

Businessman John Catsimatidis may be a billionaire, but he says he's a mayoral candidate for the poor as well. "We have poor neighborhoods. We have middle-class neighborhoods. We have well-to-do neighborhoods," he explained on Inside City Hall. "I'm going to be the mayor of everybody. I think one of the things gone wrong is some of our politicians have kept our poorer neighborhoods stuck. They're stuck on being poor. I want to be able to teach them that they can escape. They don't have to be stuck on being poor."

Mr. Catsimatidis also commented on his pledge to serve one term. "My desire is to serve one term. Look, as a businessperson I just want to give back. You know, I have a choice: go out and make another billion, or give four years to New York City. I'd rather give four years to the city," he said of the vow. “It's pretty firm and I would like to train a replacement. I want somebody that's good that can carry on. If we fail to train a replacement then you know, you could always run two terms."

In a literary move often employed by presidential candidates, Council Speaker Christine Quinn will release a memoir, "With Wisdom and Fortitude," as she campaigns for Mayor of New York City.  “Chris is an expert multitasker and will be able to simultaneously be speaker, be a candidate, and be an author,” her chief campaign strategist, Josh Isay, told The New York Times.

Speaking of Ms. Quinn, the New York Post has stayed on the all-important Dracula comparison with a "Gee, fangs a lot, Post" story. The piece concludes, "Quinn braved the sunlight yesterday as she headed to City Hall in a pantsuit. Fortunately for her political handlers, it made her look more like a politician than a member of The Cure."