When former Congressman Anthony Weiner was under siege last year, Mayor Bloomberg took a kinder approach to his longtime critic than most Democrats.
A chorus of party leaders, led by President Obama, called for Weiner to resign when his now-infamous sexcapades on Twitter consumed the political world, made national headlines and became daily fodder for late-night comedians.
But even though Weiner had attacked him relentlessly while gearing up to run for mayor, Bloomberg refused to join the pack.
It made sense at the time. Democrats were worried about Weiner’s impact on their party. That wasn’t a concern for Bloomberg. The mayor also tends to be a political contrarian — when the pundits go in one direction, he relishes going in the other.
But there was another reason for Bloomberg’s hands-off approach.
It turns out that he had established a relationship with Weiner a year earlier.
Schedules released by the Mayor’s Office under a Freedom of Information Law request show Bloomberg had an unpublicized dinner with Weiner and his wife at Testaccio restaurant in Long Island City on June 27, 2010.
Mayoral aides refuse to say what was discussed. But the meeting had an impact. When Weiner finally quit last June, Bloomberg described his downfall as “tragic” and a “lost opportunity.”
Two days before their dinner, Weiner had reportedly told Bloomberg he planned to rip out his “[expletive deleted] bike lanes” if he took over City Hall.
In another fascinating tidbit from the schedule, teachers union president Mike Mulgrew met more frequently with Bloomberg than any other municipal-union leader, about once every six weeks.
And Ralph Nader talked with Bloomberg on June 14, 2010, for half an hour at City Hall.
“The mayor loves to hear people’s ideas, and breaks bread with a broad range of individuals,” explained mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser.