Jim Gennaro. (Photo: Getty)

Queens Councilman James Gennaro is not rolling out the welcome mat for Anthony Weiner's mayoral bid.

Indeed, Mr. Gennaro released a lengthy, 824-word statement slamming Mr. Weiner. In paragraph after paragraph, Mr. Gennaro brought up Mr. Weiner's infamous Twitter scandal that led to his downfall two years ago, arguing the former congressman's poor handling of the affair disqualified him from being anything but a distraction.

"I believe I have a common sense, practical perspective on what I consider to be the minimum qualifications to be the mayor of our city," Mr. Gennaro wrote. "And, I believe that Mr. Weiner possesses none of these qualifications."

It should be noted that Mr. Gennaro is an ally of one of Mr. Weiner's new opponents in the Democratic primary, Council Speaker Christine Quinn. A spokeswoman for Mr. Weiner did not immediately respond to the attack.

View Mr. Gennaro's entire statement below:

I’ve been privileged to serve in various capacities in city government, and have served this city for more than 30 years. For most of that time, I have worked with mayors and with the top leadership in city government on both sides of City Hall and with leaders in the business, not-for-profit and labor sectors to make my modest contribution to the governance of our great city.

As a three-term Council Member, I have authored and passed more than 30 bills, and I have also taught several different courses about New York City government at Queens College.

And although I certainly don’t presume to possess the leadership skills to be the mayor, I do believe that as a student of city government, as a teacher of city government, and — most important — as a leader in city government, I believe I have a common sense, practical perspective on what I consider to be the minimum qualifications to be the mayor of our city.

And, I believe that Mr. Weiner possesses none of these qualifications. Worse, I believe Mr. Weiner’s candidacy will be nothing more than a most unfortunate distraction in this important mayoral campaign — you may recall that President Obama used this very word, “distraction,” when the president urged him to resign his seat in the House of Representatives and indicated that his continued presence in Congress was, essentially, an impediment to the governance of the country.

But let me get back to the mayoral “minimum qualifications” that I believe Mr. Weiner does not possess.

First, I believe for any mayor to be effective he or she must possess good judgment. In my opinion, his actions in 2011 show terribly poor judgment — to say the least.

Second, in my opinion, it is critical for a mayor to be able to manage a crisis. Mr. Weiner’s management of every aspect of the crisis of his own making in 2011 was, I believe, abysmal – from the first barefaced lie about being “hacked,” to his statement that he was the victim of an “illness,” to the conclusion of the crisis when he couldn’t even orchestrate his own resignation press conference and was heckled and jeered out of the room. In my opinion, his lies and victim mentality in this episode and his overall lack of crisis management skills more than disqualify him for the mayoralty.

I believe his entry in the race would be a terrible distraction from the important issues that should be discussed in this campaign and from candidates who actually are qualified to be mayor.

Worse, I don’t believe Mr. Weiner is even entering the race with the intention of winning and serving. Rather, instead of service to the city being his objective, I believe his entry into the race would, by his own admission in recent interviews I have read, be about him; his redemption; him being able to put the sexting scandal behind him.

And that is not what this mayoral campaign is for — it is not, and should not be, in my opinion, a taxpayer-financed vehicle for Mr. Weiner’s personal redemption. This campaign is about the people and future of the greatest city in the world, and an opportunity for the people to come to know and select who will lead them into the future. It is not a vehicle for him to redeem himself, and to distract the voters from the other candidates — all of whom have served in city government with distinction or have made a positive difference in New York City.

Of course, it is his right to run, a right I would be the first to defend. And he has the right to take $1.5 million in public matching funds for his campaign. And he’s entitled to run and base his campaign on whatever rationale he wants, even if that rationale is nothing more than the latest manifestation of the same self-absorbed, self-indulgent behavior that got him into trouble in the first place.

So, yes, he has the absolute right to run, to be a distraction to the voters, and turn this mayoral campaign into his own little sideshow, to the delight of the monologue-writers for all of the late night talk-shows. I am making this statement today to urge him to abandon this campaign, and to urge others to try to convince him to abandon this campaign.

I will close by invoking once again President Obama’s sentiments from 2011 — that Mr. Weiner had become a distraction to such an extent that his presence in Congress was an impediment to the governance of the country. Nothing has changed since 2011, other than Mr. Weiner’s recent indication that if the media were to look, they would likely find more women whom had received inappropriate communications and images from him. More distractions. Therefore, I believe Mr. Weiner’s distracting presence in this mayoral campaign would not only impede but actually harm the process of electing our next mayor. In my opinion, the people deserve better.

Anthony Weiner at a basketball game. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

After jumping late into a race they've been running in for months, ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner decided to break the ice with his now-Democratic rivals with a telephoned "hello" before they meet on the campaign trail.

“I've done a round of courtesy calls," Mr. Weiner told Politicker during a telephone interview Wednesday--hours after formally launching his campaign for mayor.

Mr. Weiner said he'd reached out to all of his fellow Democratic contenders, from current front-runner and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to longer-shots, including former Councilman Sal Albanese and conservative Rev. Erick Salgado.

But not everyone has been eager to call him back.

While he has spoken to the above trio, along with former Comptroller Bill Thompson, he said that Public Advocate Bill de Blasio had yet to return his message. It was furthermore unclear what Comptroller John Liu's callback status was. Representatives for Mr. Liu and Mr. de Blasio did not immediately return Politicker's own outreaches.

Mr. Weiner is expected to court some of the same outer-borough, progressive voters that Mr. de Blasio has been counting on, making the rivalry between the men especially strong. For his part, Mr. Liu flatly dismissed Mr. Weiner at a mayoral forum this morning, telling the audience, "Honestly, I won't be voting for him."

A spokesman for Mr. Albanese described his conversation with Mr. Weiner, which took place this morning, as "quick and cordial." Mr. Salgado described his own call as "friendly" on Twitter. Mr. Thompson's spokeswoman confirmed they spoke but did not have additional details. Ms. Quinn's spokesman did not return a request for comment.

Mr. Weiner also revealed to Politicker that he hasn't spoken with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi since his resignation following the sexting scandal that forced him out nearly two years ago. Ms. Pelosi had called for Mr. Weiner's resignation after he tried to seek treatment during a leave of absence.

“I don’t believe so," Mr, Weiner said when we inquired about Ms. Pelosi.

When it came to President Barack Obama, he said he'd have to check with his wife to make sure they hadn't attended a same event, but couldn't recall speaking to the nation's top executive. Mr. Obama said at the time that he would resign if he were in Mr. Weiner's shoes.

Of course, much has changed in the two years since the resignation; Mr. Weiner has become a father, and he and his wife, Huma Abedin, traded in their modest Forest Hills co-op for a swanky Park Avenue condo.

But at least one thing, Mr. Weiner said, would never change: his home team.

“Is there any chance I’d be a Yankee fan? I think my left and right arms might fall off,” he said when pushed on the subject. “I’m a Mets fan. And I know that doesn’t poll well, but it’s deep in my veins."

Additional reporting by Colin Campbell.

Anthony Weiner. (Photo: Twitter)

Despite the crotch shots circulating the internet and the botched cover-up that forced him to resign from Congress in shame, ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner says he believes he can win the mayor's race.

“Yes,” he told Politicker Wednesday afternoon when asked whether he honestly thinks he can become the city's next mayor. The comments came in a phone interview hours after Mr. Weiner formally jumped into the race with a video posted on his new mayoral website.

Mr. Weiner argued that, even with a new poll showing that half of the city's Democrats don't want him in the race to begin with, the response so far has been overwhelming.

“It’s been pretty remarkable," he explained. “It’s mostly almost entirely just people calling and writing because they want to be helpful and asking for ways to do it.”

However, Mr. Weiner declined to spell out the calculus that will get him a spot in the expected run-off--where he'd face a tough one-on-one matchup with another Democrat. But he claimed the current crop of candidates were simply lacking.

“I’ll let someone else do the punditry. But I believe that at the end of the day that, as Democrats, if we’re going to prevail, it’s because we understand the struggles of the middle class and those trying to make it,” he said. “The middle class needs someone out there to represent them."

"I’m going to try to talk about some of the ideas that I have and I’m going to try to take every opportunity I can to present the challenges and how we should be addressing them," he said, dismissing the theory that he’s running now just to clear the air so he can run seriously again in another four years. He argued voters are hungry for new ideas--and the message he presented in the 2005 race. Echoing the narrative of his campaign video, Mr. Weiner pointed to his experience growing up in Park Slope, Brooklyn at a time when his parents could afford to buy a limestone duplex for $50,000.

"I care about these things very deeply," he said. "I think New Yorkers are going to respond to the message."

Furthermore, despite his late entry into the race—after a large chunk of major labor unions and borough brass have endorsed other candidates--he said he doesn’t think his timing puts him at a disadvantage.

“I don’t know if it does,” he said. “I would argue that I was there first,” he said, pointing to his work in Congress and his efforts to stop Mayor Michael Bloomberg from running for a third term in 2009. “As far as the calendar, I think it’s still--for most citizens--fairly early in the process. And I’m going to work hard.”

Mr. Weiner has been slowly hammering together a campaign team, hiring Barbara Morgan, a former spokesman for the city’s Department of Education, whom he described as “a rock star," as his spokeswoman. He also brought on Lisa Hernandez Gioia, who worked with him previously, as his new finance director.

“We’re in a good place," he said, ignoring reports that he's had difficulty attracting top-notch talent. "It’s a very professional team.”

Anthony Weiner talking to Charlie in his announcement video. (YouTube)

In Anthony Weiner's mayoral campaign announcement video, released early this morning, the former congressman visits a number of locations, including his childhood home in Park Slope, his current Park Avenue South residence and two small businesses in the Midwood section of his old congressional district.

"If you're trying to run a business on a neighborhood shopping strip like this one, you're drowning in regulations that nickle and dime you to death," Mr. Weiner says as he stands on the corner of Kings Highway and East 18th Street in southeastern Brooklyn. "The very people who put everything they had into this city are getting priced right out of it."

Politicker visited the two businesses in the video to see if Mr. Weiner left an impression after talking to the owners.

"I don't know," the woman behind the counter of Vesuvius Pizzeria--who identified herself as the owner's wife--said of the situation. "He came here, they were eating actually. I think he's trying to be a mayor or something."

We asked if Mr. Weiner had a prior relationship with her husband before showing up with television cameras.

"Not really," she answered. "First time we've seen him."

Charlie, the owner of Twenty/Twenty Optical next door, was left with a more memorable impression, however. He said Mr. Weiner was simply in the neighborhood last week and dropped by.

"I knew him from the past. I thought he was a good congressman," he said. "Told him about the Verrazano Bridge [toll]--it's too high. We discussed how that's very political and difficult to deal with, but I said. 'I don't care about any of that, you got to lower it.'"

We asked him if Mr. Weiner had earned his vote.

"I haven't decided yet," he replied. "Good chance. Good possibility. I think he's a real kind of guy. I think he's sincere and I don't see anyone else better! Somebody's better's got to come along. He's a Brooklyn guy; he grew up in the hood and I like that."

He expressed surprise when we told him he was featured in Mr. Weiner's mayoral announcement video today.

Four of the Democratic mayoral candidates at a Crain's New York Business forum. (Photo: Jill Colvin)

Anthony who?

Scandal-scarred former Congressman Anthony Weiner may be splashed across news sites and television screens across the city, but his new opponents were reluctant to weigh in on Mr. Weiner's mayoral bid Wednesday morning--hours after he officially jumped into the mayor's race with a video posted on a re-vamped website.

City Council Speaker Christine Quinn literally refused to mention Mr. Weiner by name as she was bombarded with questions from reporters before a Crain's New York Business mayoral forum in Midtown. Instead, she returned to her own record again and again.

"This race--I don't care who's in it--is about what the candidates have done for New York's middle class and what our vision is for New York's middle class moving forward," she said. "I don't care who enter the race. Nobody has a better, stronger, clearer record of delivering for working class and middle class New Yorkers than I do."

Ms. Quinn, whose chance of avoiding a run-off has likely been decimated by Mr. Weiner, said it was up to voters to decide whether they could get past the former congressman's sexting scandal. All that mattered to her, she said, was making her case.

"Why should I talk about anybody but myself? I'm the one running for mayor, here!" she exclaimed. "My opponents, with all due respect, aren't the question. The question is my record of having delivered for New Yorkers and my specific set of plans."

Former Comptroller Bill Thompson, who is generally thought to benefit most from Mr. Weiner's entry, far more welcoming.

"Welcome aboard," he said on the topic, arguing that anyone who can add to the conversation will be an asset to the race. "I think that former Congressman Weiner can bring some ideas to this discussion, hopefully add to the dialogue that we're having about New York City and what the next mayor of the city of New York is gonna do," he said.

The candidates were later asked about Mr. Weiner's record on stage during the forum, which was attended by four of the major Democrats. Is he qualified to be mayor "by temperament and experience," moderator Greg David asked.

"I think that that is going to be up to the people of the City of New York as they judge all of us during this election season," said Mr. Thompson. "So it isn't for me. It is up to the people of the City of New York."

Ms. Quinn agreed. "What I think the voters are really concerned about is making sure that the next mayor is someone who ... actually has had a record during their career in government or their career in the private sector of actually delivering for New Yorkers," she said.

City Comptroller John Liu was more blunt: "Honestly, I won't be voting for him," he said in a less-than-stunning revelation before pivoting to his own record. He later told reporters he was sick of the hype surrounding Mr. Weiner and was eager to talk about more substantive issues.

"Now that he's made it official, hopefully this media circus will end and we can start talking about schools, public safety and affordable housing," said. "Any issue is a fair game."

Former Councilman Sal Albanese was the only candidate willing to take a shot, attacking Mr. Weiner as "just another career politician" with what he described as "some additional quirks"

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio skipped the forum to attend an endorsement press conference with the Communications Workers of America District 1. His spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment about Mr. Weiner's decision to enter the race.

Anthony Weiner. (Photo: Getty)

Former Congressman Anthony Weiner, who announced his highly-anticipated mayoral campaign in the wee hours of the morning today, has not managed to make up much ground in public polling since he floated his name a month ago. Indeed, his percentage in the Democratic primary--15 percent--is the exact same in today's Quinnipiac poll as the firm's April 19 survey.

According to new numbers out this morning, 49 percent of the electorate thinks Mr. Weiner should not run for mayor while just 38 percent say he should. Female voters in particular reacted with negativity at Mr. Weiner's return--52 percent said he shouldn't pursue his Gracie Mansion ambitions. This is despite Mr. Weiner's flurry of emotional television interviews seeking to soften his image in the aftermath of infamous two-year-old Twitter scandal.

“Should Weiner run? More, especially women, say no,” Maurice Carroll, the pollster's director, noted in a statement. “Weiner has been at 15 percent two polls in a row. Can he get to 16 percent?”

Overall, Mr. Weiner remains in second place, behind Council Speaker Christine Quinn, whose standing continues to slip. While several months ago Ms. Quinn was approaching the 40 percent threshold needed to avoid a run-off election, today she stands at just 25 percent. Two other candidates, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and 2009 nominee Bill Thompson, are tied with 10 percent apiece, and Comptroller John Liu is in fifth place with 6 percent.

“With former Congressman Anthony Weiner seeking the Democratic nod, it still looks like Council Speaker Christine Quinn against the guys,” Mr. Carroll said. “But where she once was brushing up against the magic 40 percent number that could get her past a run-off, the wear and tear of the campaign, and possibly the addition of Weiner, are taking a toll on the front-runner."

He added, “This poll says there’s a run-off. It just doesn’t say who’s in the runoff.”

View the full results below:

Anthony Weiner's launches his campaign. (http://www.anthonyweiner.com)

He's in. After weeks of speculation, disgraced ex-Rep. Anthony Weiner has officially thrown his hat into the mayor's race, announcing he's running with a new video posted on his revamped campaign website at midnight on Wednesday.

"Look, I made some big mistakes. And I know I let a lot of people down. But I've also learned some tough lessons," he says in the video, which opens with a family scene of the former councilman and his wife, Huma Abedin, having breakfast in their kitchen with their young son.

"I'm running for mayor 'cause I've been fighting for the middle class and those struggling to make it my entire life. And I hope I get a second chance to work for you,"  he says into the camera in the 2-minute, slickly-shot reel.

The video goes on to show iconic scenes of the city and images of Mr. Weiner growing up in Brooklyn, and goes on to outline a platform that includes dropping fines for small businesses and more opportunities for the middle class.

He also gets an endorsement from his wife, Ms. Abedin, who revealed she was pregnant after the scandal broke. "We love this city and no one'll work harder to make it better than Anthony," she says, sitting next to her husband on the steps of his childhood home.

The announcement comes nearly two years to the day after Mr. Weiner destroyed his Congressional career by tweeting out a photo of his underwear-clad crotch that had been intended as a private message--and then repeatedly lying about it in interviews and at press conferences, claiming his account had been hacked. He eventually admitted to having inappropriate relationships with half a dozen women online, sending them lewd text messages and images.

At the time, the idea a comeback seemed incomprehensible.

But Mr. Weiner has been plotting one for months, beginning with a glossy New York Times profile, followed by a round of television interviews and a return to Twitter--where he has been touting proposals from a largely-recycled book of policy proposals.

Now, Mr. Weiner's entree has the power to turn the race on its head. While the scandal might give many voters pause, it also cemented Mr. Weiner's name recognition. And with more than $4 million in his campaign account, he'll be able to pack a punch.

Observers have been mixed about how Mr. Weiner will impact the field, but Public Advocate Bill de Blasio appears to have the most to lose. A long-time Brooklyn resident and fellow former councilman, Mr. Weiner is expected to appeal to the same outer-borough, ethnic whites and progressive voters who feel Council Speaker Christine Quinn, the race's early front-runner, has been too close to the current mayor.

A recent poll showed Mr. Weiner would enter the race in second place, behind only Ms. Quinn.

Update (2:13 a.m.):

It appears Mr. Weiner's campaign may have pulled the trigger earlier than intended. Shortly after the campaign's new "Weiner for Mayor" website went live, it reverted back to an older version of the site that had been up since Mr. Weiner's resignation. Then, just after 2 a.m., the mayoral version was restored.

Mr. Weiner did not respond to requests for comment on whether there had indeed been a mix-up, but sources told The Post the video wasn't supposed to be posted until later Wednesday.  The video remained available via YouTube.

Jimmy McMillan. (Photo: David Shankbone/WikiCommons)

In what has to be the best endorsement of the mayor's race so far, Jimmy McMillan from The Rent is Too Damn High Party has earned a nod from none other than Papaya King.

The cheapo hot dog eatery not only plans to promote Mr. McMillan and his mutton chops in its stores, but has invited him to treat its new location on St. Mark's Place--which will be celebrating its grand opening tomorrow--as an "unofficial" campaign headquarters. It's also planning to  introduce a new specialty hot dog, "The Jimmy McMillan," in his honor.

"That's right, they invited me," a smitten Mr. McMillan told his fans in a YouTube video posted earlier today of the party. He could barely contain his amazement as he talked about the dog.

"I said, 'Wow! That's amazing! All these people gonna be eatin' me,'" he said to the camera. "Oh that's so hot! A hot dog with mustard and relish! That's better than Anthony Weiner!" he added, making a pun on one of his potential rival's names. “Hey--I didn't say that! I love you guys!"

In a letter to Mr. McMillan, Papaya King's Blake Gower stressed just how much the hot dog shop has in common with the perennial candidate and activist who shot to fame following his unforgettable appearance during the great 2010 New York gubernatorial debate, where his slogan, "The Rent is Too Damn High!" made waves.

"Today, you can get 2 franks and a famous papaya drink for $5; you can't even buy a latte at Starbucks for that price!  Food and drink is too damn expensive. We share similar values to your campaign and your message could not be clearer," Mr. Gower wrote in the letter, signed: "Stay fly, Jimmy.  Stay fly."

Mr. McMillan tweeted about the endorsement Friday with the words "Papaya King (Jimmy McMillan) hoy [sic] dog" and a link to the video, which appears to have been filmed this morning in Mr. McMillan's car. In case you want to stop by, the grand opening will take place tomorrow at 3 St. Mark's Place from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Here's the full video:

New York Post.

Headline of the Day: "Sheldon-come-lately"

Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver‘s late-night call to expel disgraced Assemblymen Vito Lopez from office hasn't helped to temper calls for his head. But most Democratic leaders seem unlikely to push for disciplinary action against the speaker. Gov. Andrew Cu0mo told reporters yesterday he didn't think it was his place "to say who the speaker is and who the speaker should be." He added: “I don’t see any comparison between what Vito Lopez and what Shelly Silver did ... There is a magnitude of difference.”

On an unrelated note, the governor seems to be raking in the green. His most recent finance disclosure statement, made public Thursday, shows he made between $1.75 million and $2 million. The bulk of his assets are reportedly managed by a blind trust at AMG National Trust Bank.

NBC 4 New York spotted Anthony Weiner and his wife Huma Abedin filming what appeared to be a campaign-style video yesterday on the stoop of Mr. Weiner’s childhood Park Slope home--the same place he kicked off his 2005 campaign. Sources told the Daily News Mr.Weiner is planning to launch his candidacy in a video instead of in person to avoid the potential embarrassment of hecklers. "A video is an easy, focused and safe option, opposed to an event rollout where not every single thing can be controlled," said one former aide.

Meanwhile, the Weiners' finances are coming under added scrutiny. Politico reported that Secretary of State Hillary Clinton created a special arrangement for Ms. Abedin that allowed her to do private consulting work for clients while serving as a top adviser to the State Department—an arrangement that Ms. Abedin failed to report in disclosure statements.

Endorsement season is underway, but some are choosing to sit out the game. Manhattan Democratic Party leaders decided last night not to endorse any candidate in the race to succeed Mayor Michael Bloomberg, according to the Daily News. Party Chair Keith Wright told the paper the move was not intended as a slight against either City Council Speaker Christie Quinn or former Comptroller Bill Thompson, who both live in the borough. "We thought it wise that we do not endorse as a county because a lot of our clubs throughout the borough have already decided to endorse candidates," he reportedly said. The group is also choosing to stay out of the public advocate and borough president races.

If you're one of those people still lamenting the mayoral choices: Take solace. It could be worse. Gawker reported last night that it had viewed a video allegedly showing Toronto's Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. The video is being shopped around by a group of Somali drug dealers looking for a six figure payout, according to the Toronto Star.

Meanwhile, State Senator Eric Adams, one of the lawmakers secretly recorded by ex-State Sen. Shirley Huntley, is trying to clear his name as he soldiers on with his campaign for Brooklyn borough president. “There’s nothing on those tapes that’s detrimental to me. Nothing. Nothing,” he told the Brooklyn Young Democrats earlier this week, warning scheming colleagues to steer clear. “If you come and talk to me about breaking the law, you’re gonna find my handcuffs," he said. "I’m not here to break the law. I’m here to serve the people of the state and I’m consistent about that.” See the rest of his remarks here:

Anthony Weiner. (Photo: Getty)

Many had expected Anthony Weiner's quarterly campaign finance filing to reveal additional information about his efforts to ramp up a highly-anticipated mayoral bid, but the former congressman's report ended up showing very few additional details.

Unlike his previous filing in March, where Mr. Weiner paid more than $100,000 for polling and research, all of his latest expenditures are humdrum affairs. He spent $37.94 to help embed his policy ideas book online, for example, and $5,000 to Jessica Provenz, a New Jersey playwright, to help him write it. Other than that, Mr. Weiner has been maintaining his campaign office, phone line and a website. No new staff hires, outside of the already-known Ms. Provenz, appear to have been made. The total spent: Just over $12,400.

Additionally, no campaign contributions were collected in this period, leaving another possible sign of his intentions silent.

It should be noted that the new filing states that Mr. Weiner spent $75,131--but, in fact, most of that money was spent back in 2010. The spending was reported as part of the current filing at the request of the city's Campaign Finance Board, which had requested the missing documents as part of its pre-election audit process, a spokesman said.

Update (12:11 p.m.):

Mr. Weiner declined to comment on the spending or the status of his campaign, saying he didn't "have anything to add" other than a technical explanation of why the 2010 items had been included in the filing.

Additional reporting by Jill Colvin.