By Colin Campbell 5/01 10:35am

The Fourth Estate

nypost nyt

The Tabloids Tout Bloomberg’s Times Tirade

Yesterday afternoon, Mayor Michael Bloomberg fiercely condemned The New York Times for its lackluster coverage of the shooting death of 17-year-old Alphonza Bryant and its editorials critical of the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk policy. “Do you think that if a white, 17-year-old prep student from Manhattan had been murdered, The Times would have ignored it?” Mr. Bloomberg sarcastically asked himself. “Me neither.”

Several of The Times competitors took notice.

“Take that, New York Times!” New York Post columnist Michael Goodwin declared in an op-ed piece prominently featuring The Times‘ logo. “And thank you, Bloomy.” Read More

By Jill Colvin 4/29 12:23pm

What White House?

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Cuomo Shoots Down Latest Report on His Presidential Ambitions

Gov. Andrew Cuomo shot down a report Monday that he’s been telling confidantes he knows he can’t run for president in 2016 if Hillary Clinton enters the race.

“There is no truth to the assertion that I’m talking presidential politics and strategy and what Hillary Clinton should do or shouldn’t do or what I’m doing presidentially,” Mr. Cuomo told WCNY’s Susan Arbetter this morning.

“The only discussions I’m having are about how to help the state, how to get the state running, how to make the government a better government,” he added. “And to the extend I’m focusing on politics, it’s my race next year.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 4/11 8:23am

fun with puns

(Photo: Newseum.org)

New York Post Relishes Return of Anthony Weiner

After former Congressman Anthony Weiner revealed his possible return to electoral politics yesterday, one could not help but wonder what pun-filled direction the New York Post would take. After all, during Mr. Weiner’s 2011 scandal, the tabloid simply wallowed in its own innuendos.

Today’s paper didn’t disappoint.

The Post‘s full coverage of Mr. Weiner’s potential mayoral candidacy starts with the cover, which blares “WEINER’S SECOND COMING!” and “Anthony: Erect me Mr. Mayor,” along with one of the sexual pictures that helped force his resignation. Read More

By Colin Campbell 4/08 12:04pm

Missed Connections

(Photo: Getty)

Governor Cuomo Denies Plot to Oust Shelly Silver

Although the New York Post ran a front-page story today reporting that Governor Andrew Cuomo is seriously considering a coup d’etat against influential Assembly Speaker Shelly Silver, the governor himself is denying any such scheme exists.

“It is wholly up to the legislative bodies to select a leader,” Mr. Cuomo said on The Capitol Pressroom this morning. “I would never, even for a moment, try to influence that decision.” Read More

By Ross Barkan and Colin Campbell 4/03 4:44pm

Mo' Money Mo' Problems

(Photo: Getty)

Smith Scandal Highlights Waning Influence of County Political Parties

“That’s politics in New York,” the New York Post‘s cover blared in stark black-and-white ink this morning. “It’s all about the f–king money.”

The quote, allegedly made from Councilman Dan Halloran to a cooperating witness, was revealed yesterday as U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara unsealed charges not only against Mr. Halloran, but State Sen. Malcolm Smith and a small slew of other political figures in what Mr. Bharara called “a corridor of corruption stretching from Queens and the Bronx to Rockland County and all the way up to Albany itself.”

Specifically, Mr. Halloran is accused of “essentially quarterbacking” a scheme to secure Republican establishment support for Mr. Smith’s mayoral bid. Mr. Smith, a Democrat, would need the blessing of three of the five county Republican organizations to run on the GOP line, and he allegedly arranged for cash bribes in his attempt to do so. But, looking more broadly, the strange scandal also shines light on these county organizations and their few remaining powers in city politics. Read More

By Hunter Walker 3/25 3:56pm

Moguls

US-OSCARS-ARRIVALS

Did Mayor Bloomberg Warn Rupert Murdoch to ‘Stop Twittering?’

At his press conference this afternoon, Mayor Michael Bloomberg was asked about his thoughts on the “Twitter universe” in light of a recent scandal involving an EMS lieutenant who was suspended after the New York Post revealed a series of racist statements he made on the social media site. Mayor Bloomberg described it as evidence people need to be far more careful about what they post online and suggested he’d even warned one of his fellow media moguls, Rupert Murdoch, to stay away from Twitter.

“Everything you send out is going to be retweeted, re-Facebooked, re this, re that and … if you write it down, some day somebody’s going to FOIL it or get it based on a judge’s order,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “You should write down, number one, only things you believe and, number two, then think about how it would look if somebody else sees it.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 2/18 3:04pm

Malcolm in the Middle

(Photo: Getty)

Malcolm Smith Wades Into Alec Baldwin Controversy

Having already conquered the rapper Lil Wayne for his alleged slights against New York City, State Senator Malcolm Smith is now calling for a boycott against actor Alec Baldwin until he seeks professional help. Mr. Smith made the call for Mr. Baldwin to be blacklisted following a New York Post story that claimed the 30 Rock star used racial slurs in a confrontation with one of the tabloid newspaper’s paparazzos.

‘’If these allegations are true, then no television network or film studio should hire the veteran actor until he seeks help,” Mr. Smith said in a statement. “In today’s modern age it’s a disgrace that people still use remarks that provide hatred to others based on race, religion or origin.” Read More

By Hunter Walker 2/07 5:12pm

Adios Amigo

John "Cash Money" Catsimatidis

How John Catsimatidis Bid Farewell to Ed Koch

Readers of Wednesday’s New York Post may have noticed a full-page tribute to the late former Mayor Ed Koch signed by Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis and his wife, Margo. When Politicker called Mr. Catsimatidis to ask about the ad this afternoon, the billionaire businessman was quick to point out it wasn’t a campaign expense.

“I paid for it personally,” he said as soon as we mentioned the tribute. Read More

By Colin Campbell 1/22 2:17pm

elected paparazzi

(Photo: Newseum.org)

Pete King: ‘It’s a Great Moment for Beyoncé to Be Seen With Me’

This morning, the New York Post‘s cover featured the power couple of President Barack Obama’s second inauguration–Beyoncé Knowles and Jay-Z–under a headline accusing Washington pols of being more starstruck by the celebrity duo than by Mr. Obama himself. Not everyone agrees with that interpretation, however, including GOP Rep. Pete King, pictured snapping a photo of Ms. Knowles. In a CNN interview today, Mr. King said the Post actually had it backwards, and Ms. Knowles was the one basking in his presence.

“It’s a great moment for Beyoncé to be seen with me,” Mr. King joked. “I mean, her career is definitely going to take off. That’s what she was waiting for all these years.” Read More