(Photo: Newseum)

Headline of the Day: "Sal: Squeeze Weiner for cost of election."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's aide forwarded New York Post columnist Fred Dicker's email to other reporters: “Monday, Vlasto forwarded that exchange to ten reporters with the subject 'off the record' and wrote, 'Just to clean of conscience, I never denied she was leaving. I, in fact, confirmed it.' 'Vlasto, in his grammatically challenged blast to other journalists this morning, created a totally false straw man by saying he ‘never denied’ Glazer was leaving,' Dicker told POLITICO. 'Well, I never wrote that Vlasto did deny it, just that he handed my story to someone else.'”

This was written before the devastating tornado hit Oklahoma, so Rep. Anthony Weiner's plan to fill the news cycle may have been modified since, but Politico reports Mr. Weiner "is set to declare his candidacy by video this week, likely on Tuesday or Wednesday." Politicker heard the Wednesday date from several sources as well but the information was second-hand.

Comptroller John Liu scored a nice endorsement from CWA Local 1180. "The rich and powerful in our city fear him because they can’t handle the truth," union president Arthur Cheliotes said. "By speaking truth to power, he has become the target of a smear campaign that is long on repetitive rhetoric and innuendo but short on the facts."

On Road to City Hall last night, Bill Thompson was asked if he had any hesitation in trumpeting the support of Rep. Greg Meeks, who has been the target of various investigations. “No, I think I have full faith in Congressman Meeks," Mr. Thompson replied. "I think he's been an excellent leader out in Queens ... I had no second thoughts, no hesitation."

The tabloid war against Speaker Shelly Silver continued this morning. The Daily News editorialized that his supporters were "all complicit in sneering at the law" and columnist Bill Hammond penned a critical column in the publication as well. The Post blasted Mr. Cuomo, whose governorship "will be held hostage by Shelly’s corruption."

And John Catsimatidis has a new mailer out where he says he could have been doing a better job at the MTA than his Republican rival, Joe Lhota. “Years of mismanagement is being balanced on the back of Staten Islanders," the ad reads. "John has the business acumen to restore the MTA to fiscal soundness."

"EXCLUSIVE: Cuomo's war against the Kardashians." (Photo: Newseum)

Headline of the Day: "Shocker! Post finds honest NY politician."

This is an interesting editorial: "As Kanye West puts it: 'We want pre-nup!' From New York pols, that is. Rich folk insist on prenuptial agreements all the time. West’s partner, Kim Kardashian, and her ex, Kris Humphries, did. As have countless others. It’s time New Yorkers insisted on one, too — for the political marriage we enter into with the politicians we elect ... And we’d even give Kanye the credit."

The barrage continues against Speaker Shelly Silver over his inolvement in covering up sexual harassment claims against Assemblyman Vito Lopez. The Daily News and New York Post have three columns up today, for example, and over the weekend, the two pounded him in additional editorials. Mr. Silver's spokesman said the idea of him stepping down was "ridiculous." 

Tell us how you really feel, Post columnist Fred Dicker: "The Post ... made the mistake of giving Cuomo’s increasingly notorious spokesman, Josh Vlasto, an opportunity to respond. Within an hour, Cuomo’s office leaked the exclusive to the Albany Times-Union. Vlasto, considered untrustworthy by many reporters ..."

The primary run-off election continues to look like a potential disaster thanks to a "bumbling" Board of Elections. “If you ask me if the B.O.E. is doing a terrible job, I would say to you it's not the B.O.E., that it's just following the law," board president Fred Umane insisted. “It's the guidelines, rules, limitations, and statutes we have to live with.”

While Councilman David Greenfield and Assemblyman Dov Hikind exchanged some public jabs. Mr. Hikind speculated Saturday that Mr. Greenfield is behind a critical blogger. On Sunday, Mr. Greenfield mocked a Lopez conspiracy theory by tweeting, "Dov Hikind tells people I'm to blame for his 'blackface' incident. Must be something in the Albany water!"

Might already-indicted State Senator John Sampson have performed the standard nonprofit graft that has landed so many other pols in hot water too? Investigators are now looking into $40,000 that Mr. Sampson steered to a politically influential partner's charity.

We missed this interview Chirlane McCray, wife of Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, did last week. So in case you did too:

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:

(photo: newseum.org)

Headline of the Day: "From Sampson advocating a shield to advocating a hit list?"

Alternative: "If I run, I’ll run hard: Weiner."

In the wake of yesterday's damning allegations against Assemblyman Vito Lopez, calls for Speaker Shelly Silver's head have increased. The Daily News demanded the Assembly "dump" Mr. Silver, for example, while the New York Post said Mr. Silver's continued influence is "the real scandal." And Post columnist Fred Dicker penned a piece entitled, "Time’s up! Shameful Shelly has got to go."

Mr. Lopez's attorney, Gerald Lefcourt, certainly had no problem kicking sand into Mr. Silver's face along the way either. “It is no secret, except perhaps from the public, that stories of the speaker’s serial and sometimes overlapping personal relationships with his own staff have long circulated in Albany,” he declared in a letter. A Silver spokesman rejected the claims.

The was fast. The same day the Post reported that mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, once friendly with Mr. Lopez, may back his Council bid, Mr. Thompson said this: “There is no place in government for Assemblyman Lopez ... There's no place in the Assembly for Assemblyman Lopez. There's no place in the City Council for Assemblyman Lopez also ... There is no place in government for Assemblyman Lopez ... There is no place in government for him."

While The New York Times looked at former GOP Senator Al D'Amato's passionate support for Mr. Thompson, a Democrat whom he said "doesn’t frighten business ... They don’t have fear of Bill Thompson, that he’s going to do some radical proposal that’s going to hurt their business.” In contrast, he said, Council Speaker Chris Quinn represents "old-style bossism, cronyism, of the worst kind.”

Quinn spokesman Mike Morey didn't take kindly to the charge, however: “Al D’Amato accusing someone of bossism is like the Kardashians calling someone gaudy," he told the Times. "Knowing what we know about antichoice, anti-gun-control, anti-Medicare Al D’Amato, voters should decide whether he’s supporting Bill Thompson because he agrees with him on the issues or because he thinks it will help his lobbying business.”

Former Rep. Anthony Weiner yesterday dismissed reports that he's having a hard time filling key positions in his campaigns. “We’re going to make a decision soon ... A matter of days," he further insisted. Mr. Weiner then made a cryptic remark to photographers following him: “Live by the sword, die by the sword.” NY1 is reporting Mr. Weiner's mayoral announcement will be next week.

And yet another mayoral contender, Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, discussed his proposal for a municipal identification card for undocumented immigrants both on Road to City Hall and at a street renaming press conference:

Andrew Cuomo at the 2004 "Playstation 2 And The Hip-Hop Summit" (Photo: Getty)

Headline of the Day: "Legislative Productivity Take Two."

The New York Times looked into Gov. Andrew Cuomo's summit love: "Some call them conferences. Others prefer forums. For old-timers, of course, they were just meetings. But over the last year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has made it clear that his preferred word for a big get-together is 'summit.' And he has summited again and again, including last week."

Assemblyman Vito Lopez is unlikely to be criminally charged criminally in the face of sexual harassment allegations against him, a sure boost to his still-exploratory Council campaign, which reportedly has the "tacit support" of mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson. Mr. Thompson may even endorse Mr. Lopez, according to the report. 

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, undoubtedly continuing his efforts to capture immigrant communities' votes in his bid to become mayor, is calling for the city to create its own municipal identification cards for undocumented immigrants. Former Governor Eliot Spitzer, of course, once attempted to allow driver's licenses for undocumented New Yorkers but backed down in the face of controversy.

Council Speaker Chris Quinn lost the endorsement of the Lenox Hill Democratic Club over her support for the Upper East Side's controversial waste transfer station. “There are a lot of people that are very positive towards Christine Quinn, but her position on the waste transfer station basically eliminated us from endorsing her," a club leader claimed.

In a press release last week to Russian and Jewish media outlets, another mayoral hopeful, Erick Salgado, condemned the installation of stones memorializing non-Jewish victims in a Holocaust memorial as “a betrayal of the community and even worse, disrespectful to the memory of those who perished in the Holocaust.”

Attorney Abe George is stepping up his attacks on incumbent Brooklyn D.A. Joe Hynes's television show and his case alleging it functions as an illegal campaign contribution is proceeding in court. “Brooklyn D.A. is neither news nor a documentary," Mr. George argued. "It is a quid quo pro by Hynes to rehabilitate his reputation, and that of his office.”

And Capital New York posted the complete video from Saturday's UFT mayoral forum:

Is a media firestorm about to hit the mayoral race? (Photo: Getty)

Headline of the Day: "Bill Clinton Won’t Endorse Anthony Weiner Because He’s Too Much Like Bill Clinton."

Politico's Maggie Haberman, who penned a piece on former Rep. Anthony Weiner staffing up in advance of a potential mayoral bid, concluded on Twitter, "Barring some unforeseen thing, Weiner is running, for those (including myself) who still had questions about that notion." She added that "he hasn't had a ton of people he's reached out to say yes I want to work for you."

If Mr. Weiner does enter the race, it would seem likely to guarantee a run-off election in the primary, as no candidate would clear 40 percent. A run-off election, however, seems likely to be a slowly-approaching disaster. “The staffing and the funding at least gives us a shot at fulfilling our legal obligations,” said general counsel Steven Richman yesterday, pleading for more funding.

It's been a revealing 24-hour period for Council Speaker Chris Quinn, who rolled out her past battles with bulimia and alcoholism as well as a touching story about her efforts to foster a youth, James Polite, who was abandoned for being gay. Later this morning, Ms. Quinn will be doing an event at Barnard College where she will elaborate upon her struggles.

State Senator Dan Squadron had a nice fund-raising period, raising over a half million dollars in his bid to become the city's next public advocate. According to a statement, "His campaign has spent only $289,200 to date, meaning that, as of this filing, he has $2.3 million to spend in the Democratic Primary, with four months of fundraising left to go."

Assemblyman William Boyland Jr. pleaded not guilty to the latest charge against him: steering taxpayer dollars to a nonprofit for pro-Boyland swag. Meanwhile, the New York Times' Michael Powell looked at the lackluster state of representation in Mr. Boyland's Brownsville district, which includes an embattled state senator.

And Capital New York posted the full video from last Friday's forum debating whether the corruption charges against so many black leaders amount to a conspiracy:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/race-mayor-2013-liu-aggressive-courting-muslim-community-article-1.1343081#ixzz2TEeOxIWu

Crickets. (Photo: Getty)

Headline of the Day: "NYC mayoral race like therapy session."

Is anything still going to get done in Albany after the various corruption scandals? Many policy advocates fear this "could become one of the least productive sessions in years," according to the Times-Union, while insiders "are questioning how much will get done for the remainder of the legislative session," according to the Daily News. “Most people just want to get out of Albany,” one Democrat said.

The New York Post took a deeper look at one of the staffers outed as a potential federal investigation target last week: consultant Melvin Lowe. In particular, Mr. Lowe, a one-time top aide to now-indicted Sen. John Sampson, was paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by the Senate Democrats without it being clear what, exactly, he did. More information still can be found in a 2010 City & State report.

Post columnist Cindy Adams reported that former President Bill Clinton is expected to stay out of the mayoral race, and that they're not ecstatic about former Rep. Anthony Weiner's possible entry. “The Clintons wish Weiner would just disappear," a source told Ms. Adams. "Every time he pops up, it’s a reminder of Bill’s scandal with Monica Lewinsky, and it isn’t helpful to Hillary’s hopes for 2016.”

Rev. Floyd Flake's mayoral endorsements just keep on coming. Six months ago, Mr. Flake endorsed former Comptroller Bill Thompson and yesterday the reverend did the exact same thing again. “Rev. Flake is a man of integrity," Mr. Thompson told the Daily News about southeastern Queens' recent spate of corruption scandals. "My full faith is in him and everyone who knows him knows he is a man of honor.”

New York magazine has a fun story about Councilman Jumaane Williams' continued stop-and-frisk advocacy: "On a recent Monday morning, 37-year-old City Councilman Jumaane D. Williams drives from Brooklyn into Manhattan, his radio blasting Jadakiss, and slides his BMW into a parking space near City Hall ... Fifty or so people now fill the rows, and everyone watches the trial silently—­everyone except Williams."

While Public Advocate Bill de Blasio held an LGBT-oriented fund-raiser last night.  From the Post's coverage: "Stars and drag queens took the stage at one of the most unbridled political events of the mayoral race — a Mother’s Day evening bash for Bill de Blasio. 'Amber,' who strutted onstage as Reba McEntire, joked that she and the candidate once tripped on acid while 'riding horses naked through my pastures.'"

And Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons endorsed Mr. de Blasio for mayor. Here's the video:

No! (Photo: Newseum.org)

What Headline of the Day: "Curtis Sliwa, Melinda Katz Accused Of Child-Support Scam In $1.4 Million Lawsuit."

State Senator Eric Adams, a candidate for Brooklyn borough president, did not show up at a scheduled club endorsement meeting yesterday after recent revelations that he could be under investigation. Politicker, which was at the Bay Ridge Democrats event, overheard organizers saying Mr. Adams' confirmation to attend happened right before the news broke. His campaign did not respond a request for comment but in a message to his supporters, Mr. Adams did write, "I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT THERE IS NOTHING ON THOSE TAPES THAT WILL IMPLICATE ME IN ANY WRONGDOING."

If Mr. Adams, unopposed by top-tier opponents at the moment, does end up with a new challenger, it doesn't seem likely to be Councilwoman Tish James, who received the endorsement of the Working Families Party for the public advocate's race last night. Meanwhile, the campaign of Ms. James' top rival, State Sen. Dan Squadron, told Politicker they were endorsed by the Lenox Hill Democratic Club and and Village Independent Democrats yesterday too.

Another hypothetical opponent of Mr. Adams', Councilman Domenic Recchia, is receiving additional support for his congressional bid to take out Rep. Michael Grimm. To wit, Mr. Recchia was named one of the first eight Democrats nationally to be part of the DCCC's "JumpStart," program, which the organizations claims will "provide critical, early support to top-tier Democratic candidates in competitive districts."

While Mr. Adams' actual rival, former Councilman John Gangemi, released a statement this morning saying, “Even though he and I strongly on [sic] many fundamental issues facing our community, .... I believe Senator Adams is entitled to the same due process under the law that everyone else is. That being said, ... Why are so many Senator Adams’s close associates accused or convicted of political corruption?”

Former State Sen. Shirley Huntley wasn't done swinging on her way out yesterday and her lawyer claimed she helped uncover "corruption" involving Attorney General Eric Schneiderman--after he indicted her for doctoring evidence. A Schneiderman spokesman responded in a statement: “It's no surprise that the criminal is angry at the prosecutor, but Huntley's lies should not distract from the fact that today justice was served."

And the Wall Street Journal delved into the possibility of Comptroller John Liu being denied millions of dollars in matching campaign funds, a decision which "would likely not be made until late July or early August." The Journal reports that the Campaign Finance Board "has a long history of denying government matching funds to candidates with questionable fundraising operations."

A "NYC Is Not for Sale" mailer against Speaker Quinn. The full ad can be viewed here.

Headline of the Day: "Joe Lhota Would Try To Enjoy Elephant Dung-And-Vajayjay Virgin Mary Painting Now."

District leader Mark Levine scored yet another union endorsement for his Council bid in the form of Teamsters Joint Council 16. “Mark Levine has a strong track record as a fighter for the working class,” union president George Miranda said in a statement. “We know that in the City Council Mark will work with us to ensure that our members are treated fairly, have safe working conditions and are included in the legislative discourse.”

Assemblywoman Vivian Cook, who is reportedly connected to State Sen. Shirley Huntley but was not named in yesterday's wire tap list, strangely had her home broken into on Monday. According to the New York Post: "The burglar went through Cook’s personal papers after bypassing many valuables, the source said. Cook — who was in Albany when the break-in occurred — was polite but uncooperative with cops, another source said."

State Senator Dan Squadron is still not waiting for a conviction to call for his colleagues' resignations. After Sen. Malcolm Smith was arrested on bribery charges, Mr. Squadron said, "Regardless of the outcome of the criminal charges ... he has lost the public trust — and he should resign.” Politicker asked the public advocate candidate's spokeswoman if the same applied to Monday's arrest of Sen. John Sampson. She replied, "Yes."

In the wake of yesterday's investigation revelations, Councilwoman Tish James is reportedly eying a bid for Brooklyn borough president, a race currently occupied by State Sen. Eric Adams, who has not been accused of any wrongdoing. Ms. James issued a statement soon after the report clarifying, “I am absolutely running for Public Advocate. Rumors to the contrary are unfounded. In fact, our campaign continues to pick up support across the City."

Both Politico and the Washington Post looked into what the former Gov. Mark Sanford's electoral win means for certain New York politician looking to make a comeback. And, while The New York Times' Nate Silver doesn't name-check former Rep. Anthony Weiner, he penned a piece entitled, "Sanford and the Electoral Effect of Sex Scandals." For his part, asked about Mr. Weiner, Mr. Sanford said, “I wouldn’t presume to give any other politician advice.”

Bill Thompson is reportedly close to securing the support of the United Uniformed Workers of New York--a group of unions representing 120,000 active and retired members--for his mayoral campaign. Mr. Thompson, along with fellow Democrats Sal Albanese and John Liu, were the only candidates invited back for a second interview. Mr. Thompson further announced the endorsement of former Lt. Gov Dick Ravitch yesterday.

While long-shot mayoral candidate Ceceilia Berkowitz gave her campaign pitch on PIX11. "Well, Mayor Bloomberg, we became good friends over the course of the past year and I've seen everything he's done," she said when asked why she wanted the top job in City Hall, adding that the mayor kisses her on the cheek. "He looks about as good as my boyfriend. He's quite nice in person. So we get along quite well."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg was busy yesterday, however, at a cruise ship press conference where he may have suggested Bermuda and the Bahamas are more welcoming than Manhattan. "Mr. Prime Minister, I play a lot of golf both on your island and on the premiere's island," he said. "It's fair to say that these two islands, and I've been to a lot of islands in my last 71 years, you never are made to feel as welcome as you are in both of these places. "

And New York True looked at the endless mayoral candidate forums:

(Photo: Newseum.org)

Headline of the Day: "A Liberal Dilemma: NYC's Mayoral Race, Seen From Brownstone Brooklyn."

Congressman Hakeem Jeffries represents much of indicted State Sen. John Sampson's district so Politicker asked him about the situation yesterday. “It's an unfortunate set of circumstances that has developed over the last several weeks with the constant parade of indictments that we're witnessing. There're people in the district that are disappointed," he replied while maintaining that Mr. Sampson is innocent until proven guilty.

"I'm going to make news tonight," mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota said on AM 970 yesterday when asked if he'd ban horse carriages in Central Park. "Quite honestly, there are ways to do this without horses. You can have carriages with motors in it if you want ... The smell that they drop there, is unfortunate. The smell on Central Park South is also unfortunate ... I will get rid of the horses."

Mighter Governor Eliot Spitzer run for office again? At a Monday night dinner Mr. Spitzer was reportedly overheard telling a guest, “If I do run for something, it would have to be something that would show I’m willing to work my way back up.” Former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford successfully subscribed to this philosophy last night.

"The problem with doing numeric things is that they're deceptive," former Congressman Anthony Weiner told the Wall Street Journal yesterday, after his legislative record was tallied and found lackluster. “You'll just have to wait for that, won't you?" he said when asked what his mayoral bid might highlight. "What I'll highlight in a campaign that I haven't announced yet? You'll report it when it happens, won't you?"

John Catsimatidis vowed to continue on into the general election on the Liberal Party line even if he loses the GOP mayoral primary, but it's not clear if the Liberals would be willing to go with that. Furthermore, Conservative Party chair Mike Long said anyone “who takes the endorsement of the Liberal Party does not get the endorsement of the Conservative Party."

Mayor Michael Bloomberg's administration likes secrecy. Indeed, they won't discuss how much time they spend fighting Freedom of Information requests without another Freedom of Information request forcing them to: "Was there some principle at stake in keeping even those basic facts secret? No reply." About 10 percent of requests are ignored outright.

After Mr. Bloomberg joked that he had a 50 percent chance of seeing the Second Ave. subway open before he dies, MTA spokesman Adam Lisberg issued this cheeky statement yesterday: “We hope and fully expect Mayor Bloomberg will live a long and healthy life, which means that he can celebrate his 75th birthday by taking a ride on the Second Ave. subway."

And Daneek Miller continued to rack up labor endorsements in his bid to replace term-limited Councilman Leroy Comrie, the latest being the Hotel Trades Council. The union pile includes NYC Central Labor Council, 1199 SEIU; SEIU 32BJ, UFT, Teamsters Joint Council 16, CWA, UFCW Local 1500 and Teamster Local 808 and the Working Families Party.