Mayor Bloomberg’s on-and-off courtship of Republicans was on again yesterday, but they were not returning the love.
He greeted winning essayists at an Abraham Lincoln bicentennial dinner sponsored by the Queens Village Republican Club, but got a tepid response from members still stung by his 2007 defection from the party.
“He has a lot of issues that he has to address,” said Queens Republican Party Chairman Phil Ragusa. “And I don’t think the regular Republicans are ready to endorse.”
Bloomberg was a lifelong Democrat before running for mayor twice as a Republican, then becoming an independent.
Republicans are also unhappy over his decision to raise property taxes and to trash term limits in pursuit of four more years in City Hall.
Club members grumbled about his appearance days before the event.
“You can’t disinvite a mayor,” read one e-mail. “Anyway, he’s coming only for the nonpartisan essay-contest portion and then leaving, thank God.
He’ll get the message that he’s not welcome.”