As Anthony Weiner winds his way through the slog of never-ending candidate forums and debates that have defined much of the mayor’s race, he’s managed to stand out by standing up as he answers every question, even as the rest of the field remains seated. Read More
City Council Speaker Christine Quinn laughed off suggestions Thursday that she had purposely scheduled a press conference to rain on an opponent’s endorsement parade–the second time she’s been accused of using the tactic in recent months.
“We should be so well-organized to figure everything out on that level!” said Ms. Quinn, bursting into awkward, raucous laughter when Politicker asked about the timing of her Thursday press conference unveiling a new mobile app for her campaign.
(Her cackle is a particularly well-known response mechanism in city politics.) Read More
One of the biggest gaffes during last night’s presidential debate came from the moderator, CBS News Chief Washington Correspondent Bob Schieffer, who accidentally referred to the late Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as “Obama bin Laden” while discussing Pakistan. Though this was one of the most talked about moments of the evening, for over twelve hours after the debate, there was no mention of the mistake on CBS News’ website where the posted transcript of the debate omits the exchange. Read More
As is her custom, provocative conservative commentator Ann Coulter was decidedly politically incorrect in her assessment of the final presidential debate last night. Ms. Coulter took to Twitter where she used a derogatory term to describe President Barack Obama.
“I highly approve of Romney’s decision to be kind and gentle to the retard,” Ms. Coulter wrote. Read More
Tonight’s presidential debate was ostensibly about foreign policy, but on stage in Boca Raton, the candidates spent quite a bit of time discussing the American economy. The discussion first turned homeward when moderator Bob Schieffer asked Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama, “What is America’s role in the world?” Read More
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In one of the more memorable exchanges of tonight’s final presidential debate, President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney clashed while discussing the focus of our military. After Mr. Romney attacked Mr. Obama over the size of the U.S. Navy and Air Force, Mr. Obama accused his Republican rival of being uneducated about “how our military works,” quipping, “The question is not a game of Battleship where we’re counting ships.” Read More
Former Republican New York Governor George Pataki was one of the surrogates backing Mitt Romney on “spin alley” after last night’s presidential debate at Hofstra. Politicker used the opportunity to ask Mr. Pataki which GOP candidates he thought might emerge to challenger the crowded field of Democrats who are likely to run for mayor in next year’s election. So far two political newcomers, Manhattan Media CEO Tom Allon and Doe Fund boss George McDonald, are the only ones who have declared their intentions to run on the Republican line, but Mr. Pataki indicated there may be other Republicans mulling a mayoral bid.
“There are a number of people who are talking about running,” said Mr. Pataki. “I’m hopeful that we’ll have a strong candidate.” Read More
As governor of a high-profile state with an almost astronomical approval rating and proven bipartisan appeal, Andrew Cuomo would seem a powerfully effective campaign-trail surrogate for President Barack Obama. However, though last night’s presidential debate was held in his beloved home state, the governor’s name did not appear on the list of spin room surrogates distributed by the Obama campaign yesterday morning. Fellow governors Martin O’Malley of Maryland and Deval Patrick of Massachusetts, had signed up to give their post-game assessments to throngs of national media, as had local New York politicians Senator Chuck Schumer and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez. But not Andy.
Though he wasn’t part of the Obama campaign’s official post-debate presence, however, Governor Cuomo, whose office had been made aware Politicker was working on a story that included discussion of his relationship with the Obama campaign, strolled onto spin alley a short time after the sanctioned surrogates had begun speaking to the assembled reporters. Read More
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — Talking to reporters in “spin alley” after tonight’s debate, Mitt Romney’s senior adviser Eric Fehrnstrom conceded President Barack Obama was “more spirited” than he was in the first go-around. However, Mr. Fehrnstrom said the Romney campaign is still “confident” its candidate will win.
“I don’t think changing your style or changing your tone can change the facts of your record,” Mr. Fehrnstrom said. “We still have 23 million Americans struggling for work, 16 trillion in debt, 47 million Americans living on food stamps, one in six Americans living in poverty. No amount of histrionics on the president’s part can change those bad facts.” Read More
HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. — At many points in tonight’s presidential debate, Mitt Romney seemed to be expending more energy sparring with the moderator, CNN’s Candy Crowley, than with President Barack Obama. The multiple moments where Mr. Romney argued with Ms. Crowley drew audible reactions in the audience and among the reporters in the media filing room. Mr. Romney’s squabbles with Ms. Crowley also made him seem shaken by the president’s attacks after a debate in which Mr. Romney was widely seen as the victor and the president was criticized as insufficiently aggressive. Read More
