Metro

Thompson acting like teacher pet

FRIENDS: Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson pals around with UFT President Michael Mulgrew (above) yesterday and addresses the National Action Network, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

FRIENDS: Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson pals around with UFT President Michael Mulgrew (above) yesterday and addresses the National Action Network, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton. (R. Umar Abassi)

FRIENDS: Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson pals around with UFT President Michael Mulgrew (left) yesterday and addresses the National Action Network, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton (right). (
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Barely 12 hours after securing the endorsement of the teachers union, mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson was back at UFT headquarters yesterday, palling around with the group’s leader, Michael Mulgrew.

“This endorsement is a huge boost,” Thompson said after the event, hosted by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network to plan the 50th anniversary of the 1963 civil-rights march on Washington.

The union nod could come with another nice gift for Thompson.

Sharpton, who has been critical of his longtime pal for adopting a middle-of-the-road stance on the NYPD’s controversial stop-and-frisk tactic, said after the event that Mulgrew’s move has a “huge bearing” on his own group’s endorsement.

“Mr. Mulgrew has a lot of influence on me and a lot of people around me because he has been a tremendous ally in the fight for civil and human rights,” said Sharpton. “Whether that means we go where he goes or not I can’t say.”

Thompson opened his remarks at the event by gloating over his tight bond with Mulgrew in front of Democratic rival Bill de Blasio, who had been in the running to get the union’s backing.

“I’m clearly in the house of the UFT,” Thompson said. “Michael Mulgrew, it’s always a pleasure. I haven’t seen you since yesterday — so it is great to be back again.”

Sharpton shouted out to Thompson, “Don’t rub it in!”

Mulgrew continued to stay mum about how much money his high-powered union is willing to throw behind Thompson, but robo calls from the union urging members to support and pitch in for its candidate were launched within hours of the endorsement.

“We have a very robust program, and we make our decisions based on need,” said Mulgrew. “We think the people have gotten a little crazy with all the air wars in politics. We always feel it’s more important to be in the communities talking to people . . . knocking on doors. We believe that’s what makes the difference.”

At an event in Midtown meanwhile, GOP hopeful Joe Lhota laced into the Democratic candidates for fumbling over one another in a bid to please the UFT.

“I will not pander to the union. I am willing to cooperate with the UFT, but labor should not expect me to give them a back rub in an election year like so many other candidates,” Lhota said during a speech before the Association for a Better New York.

Lhota — a deputy mayor under Rudy Giuliani — praised Mayor Bloomberg’s successes in running the public school system and criticized the former Board of Education as “dysfunctional.”

Thompson was president of the old Board of Ed from 1996 to 2001, and it will certainly be Lhota’s main line of attack if he faces off against Thompson in the general election.

Asked about Lhota’s digs at the union, UFT Chief Michael Mulgrew said the mayoral hopeful was simply catering to the politics of an upper-crust crowd.

“So you mean Mr. Lhota was pandering to his millionaire base?” he said. “I’m glad that Mr. Lhota is saying he’s not pandering [to the union] — while he’s pandering.”