John Hickenlooper (Photo: Getty)

Earlier today, National Rifle Association President David Keene went on Fred Dicker's radio show to tout yesterday's pro-gun rally in Albany. As they are both wont to do, Mr. Dicker and Mr. Keene took a number of shots at Governor Andrew Cuomo and the gun control legislation he passed earlier this year. At one interesting moment in the conversation, however, Mr. Keene went further by saying another unnamed Democratic governor shared some of their anti-Cuomo views.

"You know Fred, I was out in the West recently and had to meet with a Democratic governor because a lot of the state legislatures are considering all kinds of different laws and legislation on firearms," Mr. Keene said. "As I went into his office, I said, 'Governor, before we get started, I have to tell you that the press has been asking me why I'm meeting with you.' He said, 'What did you tell them?' I said, 'I'm meeting with you because you're not Andrew Cuomo. And you should take that as a compliment.' He looked at me and he said, 'Believe me, I do.'"

When pressed, Mr. Keene declined to reveal the governor's identity. However, given all of the details already provided--a Western Democratic governor considering new gun policies whose recent meeting with Mr. Keene was covered in the press--it seems the executive in question very well could be Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, who met with Mr. Keene last month. Google News searches of Mr. Keene's name and the four other Democratic governors west of the Mississippi River returned zero results.

Politicker provided Mr. Hickenlooper's office with a transcript of the comments and asked whether the N.R.A. leader's description was accurate. Megan Castle, Mr. Hickenlooper's deputy director of communications, replied succinctly without confirming or denying the alleged slight against Governor Cuomo.

"The governor did meet with David Keene," she said. "They had a good conversation."

Councilman Robert Jackson speaking at the press conference.

Last Friday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, frustrated with the current state of contract negotiations with the city's teachers union, caused a political dust-up when he compared the leadership of the influential United Federation of Teachers to the National Rifle Association. Now, other New York City politicians are demanding an apology.

“Teachers want to work with the best, and most of them are not in sympathy with the union,” Mr. Bloomberg had said before pivoting to one of his preferred talking points when he pushes for tougher federal gun laws. "The N.R.A’s another place where the membership, if you do the polling, doesn’t agree with the leadership.”

Michael Mulgrew, the President of the U.F.T., said he was so infuriated by this comment that he organized today's press conference on the topic.

"What he did Friday, comparing us to the National Rifle Association at this point in time is just wrong," Mr. Mulgrew declared. "The demonizing of teachers in New York City by this mayor has now reached an all-time low. It's just a very, very sad day."

American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten further blasted Mr. Bloomberg for the comment in the context of the recent massacre in Newtown, Connecticut.

"This was disgusting, the mayor was wrong," Ms. Weingarten exclaimed. "It is shameful for the mayor to use that kind of analogy in a collective bargaining spat....Do not denigrate either the teachers or the tragedy that just happened in Sandy Hook. And that's why I'm asking the mayor--asking the mayor!--to apologize."

Joining Mr. Mulgrew and Ms. Weingarten today was a small army of elected officials, including three of the four leading Democrats campaigning for mayor next year, using terms like "lowest possible insult" to describe the N.R.A. reference. The fourth, Council Speaker Christine Quinn, could not attend, but a Quinn staffer was present and handing out a statement condemning the comment.

Of course, apologies from Mr. Bloomberg are relatively rare, so Politicker asked Mr. Mulgrew if he actually expected to get one.

"I would expect to get the apology," he replied after a pause. "If he doesn't, so be it. We'll continue to move on."