Sounding more like a presidential candidate than the leader of the nation’s biggest city, Mayor Bloomberg yesterday fired a political salvo at Washington politicians — of both parties — for making “a mess of our country.”
In his most strident tone yet, Bloomberg delivered what could have been confused with a campaign stump speech before the city’s business leaders by blasting federal lawmakers for letting political squabbles stifle economic growth — in contrast to what’s happened in New York City.
“When did ‘success’ become a bad word in America?” Bloomberg asked at the Steiner Studios in Brooklyn Navy Yard, where a large crane served as the backdrop to drive home the message about the city’s economic growth.
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“When did cooperation in government become treason? The new ‘politics as usual’ is making a mockery of our democracy — and a mess of our country.”
The mayor invoked many of the themes he had sounded while testing the presidential waters in 2007: that “common-sense solutions” trump ideology; that both major political parties “follow the mood of the moment — instead of leading from the front”; and that the American people are getting fed up with “political pandering,” “legislative influence peddling” and constant infighting.
“Put simply: When it comes to creating jobs, the government hasn’t gotten the job done,” Bloomberg declared.
“We need those in government to stop demagoguing and start delivering.”
Bloomberg borrowed upbeat quotes about America from both Presidents Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton — but when it came to President Obama, Bloomberg offered only cautionary advice.
The mayor took an indirect swipe at the White House by saying that very little of the federal stimulus spending or the health-care reform package promoted innovation.
“And the Obama administration will have to be very careful to make sure that the financial-services bill this year doesn’t hinder innovation,” the mayor added.
For many in the audience, there was only one take-away: Bloomberg is running for president, seriously considering running, or trying to make it look like he’s running.
“These [remarks] have the resonance of the opening salvo of a presidential campaign,” said former Brooklyn DA Elizabeth Holtzman, one of about 250 business and civic leaders invited to the event by the Association for a Better New York.
Steve Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, said he thought the mayor was “keeping all his options open.”
Mayoral aides promoted the speech aggressively, providing a preview on the influential Politico Web site and booking Deputy Mayor Robert Steel on CNBC to discuss it.
Bloomberg himself will be appearing on “Meet the Press” Sunday.
Deputy Mayor Howard Wolfson, a former top adviser on Hillary Rodham Clinton’s presidential campaign, said there are more speeches to come in a similar vein.
“We believe New York has a stellar record on jobs creation,” said Wolfson. “We believe we have something to share with the rest of the country on that. The mayor of New York has a national platform. He’s going to use it.”
Wolfson noted that Bloomberg has repeatedly said he is not running for president.
Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who is next in the line of succession to the mayoralty, pointed out that the unemployment rate here still exceeds 9 percent despite the city’s achievements on the jobs front.
“I hope he’d keep his focus on creating jobs here,” de Blasio said, adding that odds are against an independent like Bloomberg ever making it to the White House.
“He’s obviously a very talented person with resources,” de Blasio said of the mayor. “I think what’s obvious in this country is that a lot of independent candidacies have come along, and we all know in the end this country is focused on a two-party system and I don’t think — the Tea Party notwithstanding — I don’t think anything’s changed that.”