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Bill de Blasio
De Blasio Hires D.C. Hand
Jan 3rd - 5:44 pm
NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who is one of a handful of Democrats gearing up for a 2013 mayoral run, has hired a veteran D.C. operative to serve as his new communications director.
Gabby Adler has come on board with de Blasio to replace Matt Wing, who departed in September and joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s press office about a month later.
Adler most recently served as the communications director for the Democratic side of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
She previously served as the DCCC’s midwestern regional press secretary during the 2010 campaign cycle.
Prior to joining the DCCC, Adler worked as Iowa Rep. Dave Loebsack’s spokeswoman, and did a stint on Sen. John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign.
Adler is a Los Angeles, CA native, but this isn’t the first time she’s worked in New York. In 2006, she handled press for then-Nassau County Legislator Dave Mejias’ failed challenge to GOP Rep. Pete King.
De Blasio has longstanding ties to the national Democratic Party. He worked in the Clinton administration (at HUD, which was run by Gov. Andrew Cuomo) and also served as the campaign manager for Hillary Clinton’s first successful US Senate run in 2000.
Cynthia Nixon And Partner Endorse de Blasio
Nov 16th - 4:14 pm
Actress Cynthia Nixon, along with her partner Christine Marinoni, today endorsed Bill de Blasio for mayor saying that he’s “on the right side of every issue.”
A news release from the de Blasio campaign with the quote-leded “I want to see Bill de Blasio as the next Mayor of New York City,” Nixon, who appeared in Albany alongside New York Rangers star Sean Avery to lobby for same-sex marriage, says she endorsed the city’s public advocate “before a packed house.”
Nixon has also been an advocate for a number of educational causes over the years.
“For every reason—as a woman, as a gay person, as a public school parent, as a progressive—I want to see Bill de Blasio be the next Mayor of New York City,” said Nixon. “I want to wake up and find that that’s true, and get to love my city in a whole new way—because Bill de Blasio is a great city councilmember, he’s a great Public Advocate and he will be one of the greatest mayors that New York has ever had.”
Among the potential Democratic mayoral candidates is John Liu, the city comptroller, who has run into some serious fundraising troubles of late, and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, who is gay, and has significant establishment support.
A quick programming note: de Blasio will be on the show tomorrow.
Here’s the full release: More >
De Blasio Urges Cuomo To Veto Taxi Cab Bill
Sep 20th - 4:59 pm
New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio urged Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a letter sent last month to veto the taxi bill that passed the Legislature in July.
The measure would provide for up to 30,000 new licenses for livery cabs in an effort to increase cab service in the outer boroughs. In addition, 1,500 yellow cab medallions would be authorized.
But de Blasio writes that the Mayor Michael Bloomberg-backed measure, if approved, could have the unintended consequence of weakening both the yellow and livery cab services in New York City.
“If the Mayor’s plan becomes law, the existence of newly-permitted livery cabs capable of picking up street fares will no doubt significantly decrease the demand for prearranged car service,” writes de Blasio, who worked at the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development with Cuomo. “This plan will also likely increase the incentive for non-permitted livery drivers to pick up street hails illegally.”
During a question-and-answer session on Monday in the Red Room, Cuomo told reporters that support for the bill was withering, even among lawmakers who initially supported it. Earlier on Saturday, The Daily News reported that Iowa Sen. Tom Harkin criticized the bill for not including enough provisions to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
de Blasio Calls For Bloomberg To Apologize
Sep 2nd - 3:54 pm
New York City Public Advocate Bill de Blasio sent a harsh letter to Mayor Michael Bloomberg today calling on him to apologize for failing to disclose his former deputy mayor’s domestic-violence arrest.
He notes that the arrest, which occurred several days before Goldsmith resigned — ostensibly for mishandling the city’s response to the blizzard and not the July incident — was even kept from Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.
And de Blasio notes that if a city official is arrested in the five boroughs, the case is forwarded to the Department of Investigation. Goldsmith’s arrest, which occurred in Washington DC, reveals a hole in the law, he says.
I am introducing legislation requiring that the arrests of City officials in jurisdictions outside New York City be immediately reported to the NYPD and the DOI, so that incidents can be properly reviewed and investigated. I urge you to support this measure.
Other elected officials, many who have designs on succeeding Bloomberg in 2013, have stepped up their criticism of the mayor after the Post reported this week of Goldsmith’s arrest.
Full letter after the jump. More >
De Blasio Lands Clintonite (Updated)
Jun 9th - 3:21 pm
NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is poised to announce that Harold Ickes, a veteran Democratic operative and former top aide to President Clinton, has agreed to serve on the board of his office’s nonprofit arm, the Fund for Public Advocacy.
Other new board members include PR maven Ken Sunshine and philantrhopist Mahsa Pelosky.
The fund was established in 2002 by then-incumbent Betsy Gotbaum to “reinforce and support” the public advocate’s office at a time of budget cuts. Gotbaum still serves as president of the funds Board of Directors.
De Blasio has been trying to reinvigorate the fund since he took office, hiring Reshma Saujani (the financial manager attorney who ran a failed 2010 primary challenge against Rep. Carolyn Maloney) back in January.
Ickes, who chaired Clinton’s presidential campaign in New York in 1992 and served as his deputy chief of staff, has been a member of the Clinton circle for many years.
His decision to sign on to a fund connected to de Blasio is notable following the scandal that appears to have bumped presumed 2013 NYC mayoral race frontrunner, Rep. Anthony Weiner, from contention. Weiner was believed to have the inside edge with the Clintons, with whom he has a close relationship – in part due to his wife’s career as Hillary Clinton’s top aide.
Of course, that’s all changed now.
UPDATE: A reader notes that Ickes and de Blasio have a relationship that dates back to the days when they both former for former NYC Mayor David Dinkins….so that dramatically reduces the whole Clinton connection thing.
De Blasio Raises For 50th
Jun 1st - 9:34 am
While one of his potential 2013 NYC mayoral opponents is fighting with reporters over a lewd photo sent from his Twitter account, NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is planning a big 50th B-Day cash fundraiser with a few of his nearest and dearest.
A reader forwarded an invite to the June 23 event, which features many labor leaders (including UNITE HERE’s John Wilhelm, who is de Blasio’s cousin) as co-chairs, vice chairs and members of the host committee.
Another interesting name that stuck out: Sean Coffey, one of the failed 2010 Democratic AG contenders. Also, two prominent lobbyists – Allison Lee and Sid Davidoff – and Democratic donor/reform gadfly Bill Samuels, who recently made headlines by verbally smacking Rep. Anthony Weiner (in the pre-Weingergate days).
This event is also being touted by de Blasio’s wife, Chirlane McCray, who was a fixture on her husband’s 2009 public advocate campaign. In an email to de Blasio supporters, McCray (who met her husband in the Dinkins administration and is now in the campaign mailing business) wrote:
“When I turned 50, I didn’t hold a fundraiser, but then again, maybe I should have. That sound you hear is our children laughing at how old we’re getting.”
“…As you likely know, Bill has spent his adult life working for tenants, parents, school children, and those who need our help the most. Crossing the 50 year mark is an important milestone for most, and I am confident the next 50 will give Bill even more opportunities to serve New Yorkers and our great City.”
Individual tickets are $500. Chairs are being asked to raise $10,000, vice-chairs $4,950, sponsors $2,500, and host committee members $1,000.
de Blasio’s Gay Marriage Pep Talk
May 13th - 2:06 pm
Speaking of who’s calling around on gay marriage…
NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio was at SEIU 1199′s HQ in Manhattan last night to phone bank with New Yorkers United
for Marriage, the coordinated campaign that is lobbying to get a bill passed in the Senate prior to the session’s end next month.
As you’ll recall, former first daughter Chelsea Clinton worked the phones at this same location last week.
De Blasio, a likely 2013 NYC mayoral contender, also had a strategy session/pep talk with marriage advocates in which he explained why the bottom-up approach to motivate constituents to pressure lawmakers is the best way to move on-the-fence senators to the “yes” column.
(Recall that de Blasio is a big labor guy and also largely owes his election in 2009 to the WFP, which subscribes so heavily to the grassroots organizing campaign model that it has its own for-profit field arm).
“Given the state Senate and the way they operate, the way they’re clinging to their power, we’ve got to disrupt their comfort and say no to this,” de Blasio said.
“We’ve got to get to the grassroots. You can have the moral consensus in society. You can have the governor with you. But the grassroots piece is what will fundamentally upset any Republican’s notion that they can get away with a vote that’s the wrong thing to do.”
“So, that’s exactly why this is so important. So, I think if we do this right and we keep doing this, we’re going to win this.”
de Blasio: Release Records Of Grimm Nightclub Incident
Apr 27th - 1:18 pm
Donald Trump doesn’t have the market cornered on calling for the release of records.
As The Donald is taking credit for President Obama’s decision this morning to post his birth certificate on the Web, NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio is taking aim at GOP Rep. Michael Grimm, calling on the NYPD and the US Justice Department to release all records surrounding a 1999 nightclub incident in which the congressman allegedly abused his position as an FBI agent.
De Blasio, a Democrat who is eyeing a potential NYC mayoral run in 2013, said the report on Grimm’s conduct in this week’s New Yorker are “too troubling to be ignored,” adding:
“If these charges are true, it’s clear that Congressman Grimm abused his power as a law enforcement official and violated the civil rights of several New Yorkers.”
“This deplorable behavior is not worthy of a member of Congress or any elected official. Additionally, leaving these allegations unanswered would be a disservice to the brave members of all law enforcement agencies in our City.”
“A matter this serious cannot be brushed under the rug.As a representative to the people of Staten Island and Brooklyn, Congressman Grimm has an obligation to fully address these allegations by letting the whole truth come out.”
“I urge the Congressman to join me in calling on the New York City Police Department and the Justice Department to release all records surrounding this incident in order to provide a full accounting to the public.”
As you’ll recall, neither the NYPD nor the Justice Department would provide information about the incident.
Grimm, a freshman GOP member in NY-13, told the Staten Island Advance (his hometown newspaper) that the New Yorker story is “fiction” and denied the most damning allegations it contains – that he brandished his gun in the Caribbean Tropics nightclub and yelled: “All the white people get outta here.”
“It’s unfortunate,” the congressman told the Advance’s editorial board. “This reporter was working on it for over a year. He was trying to dig up something that wasn’t there.”
Grimm ousted Democratic former Rep. Mike McMahon last fall. McMahon, a one-termer, won a long-held GOP seat after former Rep. Vito Fossella declined to seek re-election in the wake of a drunk driving/out-of-wedlock child scandal.
McMahon has suggested that he might not yet be done with politics, but hasn’t yet made any formal moves toward a re-match. Investment banker Robert Diamond is reportedly considering a challenge to Grimm in 2012.
de Blasio’s Shout-Out To Buffalo
Mar 17th - 10:53 am
NYC Public Advocate Bill de Blasio took to Twitter this morning to capitalize on counter Mayor Bloomberg’s verbal slight to Buffalo, expressing his love and support for the Queen City.
De Blasio isn’t eyeing a statewide run – at least not to my knowledge. But he is considering a mayoral bid in 2013.
Q Poll: Bloomberg Sinks To New Low
Mar 16th - 8:43 am
Today’s Q poll finds Mayor Bloomberg’s approval rating has sunk to its lowest point in eight years with voters disapproving of the job he’s doing, 51-39. That’s not far off from his last low point of 51-37 percent disapproval in late November 2003.
Only Bloomberg’s fellow Manhattanites approve of his performance, 55-34. Adding insult to injury for the mayor, all the other citywide elected officials – and likely 2013 mayoral contenders – have scored their highest approval ratings ever. They are as follows:
- 44-16 for Public Advocate Bill de Blasio.
- 54-16 for Comptroller John Liu.
- 55-25 for Council Speaker Christine Quinn.
“Is it the snow, the third-term blahs, the weekends away, the presidential chatter? Whatever the explanation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s once-upon-a-time stretch of 70-plus job approval numbers has gone south,” said Q pollster Mickey Carroll.
Meanwhile, NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly, who just this week brushed off talk of him moving on to become director of the FBI, has a 67-20 approval rating. Bloomberg’s hand-picked NYC schools chancellor, Cathie Black, is still struggling to improve her standing with city residents. Most disapprove of her performance, 17-49, with 34 percent undecided.
Bloomberg can take solace in the fact that even if New Yorkers don’t like the way he’s handling himself on the job, they do believe he’s entitled to some privacy. A whopping 72 percent say it’s no one’s business where the mayor spends his weekends or vacations. This is down slightly from the 80 percent who said as much in a February Q poll.
The media should not follow the mayor and report on his time-off activity, most voters say (79-17). But when Bloomberg leaves the city, 84 percent believe he should have to say who he’s leaving in charge.
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