Ahhhh, I Love the Smell of a Third Term in the Morning

While many were disconcerted when Mayor Mike bought himself a third term, I was exhilarated, knowing full well the third time is not a charm, even predicting (I know it's somewhere buried in the 2800 posts on this blog) that it would all come crashing down around his ears. The arrogance of power only leads these characters to be more hubristic - and so it comes to pass.

Here is NY Mag take on tonight's events. Go join the fray by leaving a comment. Or two. But not 3 because as we are seeing, the third time is not a charm.

http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2010/11/cathie_black.html

No Good Options for Mayor Bloomberg After Cathie Black Is Rejected

• 11/23/10 at 6:30 PM
• Comment 10Comment 10Comments

Photo: Joe Kohen/WireImage

A big, rare loss for Michael Bloomberg this afternoon: The state education commissioner has conditionally rejected the mayor’s choice for city schools chancellor, Cathie Black. David Steiner may have simply been underwhelmed by Black’s publishing-industry résumé; his advisory panel, which voted against granting the necessary waiver, appears to have been embarrassed by having been portrayed in news stories as Bloomberg toadies.
Steiner is giving Bloomberg an out, however, saying he’d accept Black if she hires a top assistant who actually knows something about education. The next move is Bloomberg’s, and none of them are easy. He could elevate one of the “pedagogical experts” he says Black would have leaned on anyway — but that would essentially admit that Black is a figurehead and not the “visionary” Bloomberg had touted. He could refuse to install a No. 2 who’s a real educator and have Steiner reject Black, leaving the school system rudderless — not likely. Bloomberg could withdraw Black’s application and admit defeat — even less likely. Or Black could back out, saving some face but leaving the mayor to start over. My wagering, however, is that Bloomberg, through intermediaries, spends the next several days trying to get Steiner to change his mind or put some time limit on the Black-helper. And if Steiner doesn’t budge, Joel Klein may need to ask Rupert Murdoch for an extension on that new job.

And Paul Moore from Miami chipped in:

All hail Leonie & Company! Feels good doesn't it? You beat one of the biggest of the oligarchs. Bloomberg looks especially small right now, no pun intended, and he'll never quite be the same again. Can't you just hear him, "Why can't Cathie be Chancellor, she's got the qualification for the job, she's my friend. Oh, they're all stupid Nazis, no they're all stupid Soviets, don't they know I got Meg Whitman elected Governor of California?"

Let's see, Michelle Rhee is jobless, Joel Klein is going to work for Rupert Murdoch, Bloomberg is beaten, Bill Gates is foaming at the mouth about teachers seniority rights, salaries and pensions, the Walton family will open their stores on Thanksgiving in desperation, no one went to see "Waiting For Superman", and Eli Broad's got one foot in the grave. To borrow a phrase from the great George Peppard and tweak it a bit, "I love it when a plan falls apart."

Paul A. Moore

P.S. Hey Michael Mulgrew, you seemed a little timid on this one. Time to step up, time to lead brother.