New York, NY – In a wide-ranging interview with Mayor Bloomberg featured in this week’s edition of The Atlantic (http://goo.gl/6Q0Iq) which included his recent crackdown on sugar, streamlining government, and campaign finance, among other topics, the Mayor talked about how he views his role and his tenure as mayor.
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“I said one time that if I finish my term in office — at that time, we were talking about eight years, or four years — and have high approval ratings, then I wasted my last years in office. That high approval rating means you don’t upset anybody. High approval rating means you’re skiing down the slope and you never fall. Well, you’re skiing the baby slope, for goodness’ sakes. Go to a steeper slope,” the Mayor said. “You always want to press, and you want to tackle the issues that are unpopular, that nobody else will go after.”
Case in point, the Mayor noted, was his recent victory in the battle over the regulation of metzitzah b’peh, where he remained firm in his position in the face of tremendous opposition, including “10,000 guys in black hats.”
“I think it’s fair to say that nobody else would take that on. I mean, come on! Forget about the fact that — “They do what!?” — Who wants to have 10,000 guys in black hats outside your office screaming?
And yet, I said to the rabbis: The science is not perfect, and it is to some extent an art — medicine — but there is a reasonable chance that this is dangerous to kids’ health. There have been some kids who we believe die or have brain damage from the practice. My obligation is to protect the citizens. I understand freedom of religion. Nobody stood up for it more than me — go back to the [Ground Zero] mosque, where I got beaten up for doing what was right….,” the Mayor said.
Asked what he sees as the Obama administration’s biggest success to date, the Mayor responded, “I suppose, well, you can step back and say: showing that the country has gotten beyond the ethnicity or religion or whatever of an elected official. That was a big deal.”
yes, and don’t we all remember those silly signs of vote Mike in Yiddish?
Dont put your faith in princes..
Its sickening how this man hates his roots. What phrase is “men in black hats” ? Shame on this self hating, root despising jew (without a black hat)
He stood up for Muslims re the Masque, and so did he give millions of charity to causes all over the world, but not a penny for any jewish charity.
Michel, you are an absolute disgrace, a total rotten apple. Enjoy life
it just shows what an arrogant man he is to dismiss a whole population like this
Its probably not important that almost every physician who has investigated this subject warns against the practice. Its equally not important that the non ultra orthodox world finds the practice to be horrific. This is not an issue and we should do exactly what a small group of people did in the past but more so now that we have increased our numbers.
y. High approval rating means you’re skiing down the slope and you never fall.
Shame on you.
16 cops shot this year just in the Bronx and you are busy with metzitzah.
The black hats where good for you when you came begging for the votes.
Shame.
Mayor Bloomberg’s wealth is strictly on paper worth. Let us see in the very near future when all will realize that his company truly does not have the value assumed it has. He will lose billions in days in the same way facebook did. We will see how he stands up to that. Good luck. He will then enjoy how much he stood up to the black hats
16 cops shot this year just in the Bronx and you are busy with metzitzah.
Lev mluchim vsurim byad hashem, no one can hide from god, his time will also come one day, and when it will ot will be bad, charpes and bushes, just stay proud mr. Mayor untill you will be embarrassed to show your face
BOTTOM LINE:this is all the work of Hashem & the choice is yours if you wish to leave now or wait & suffer ahead C”V
What a disgraceful human being
Poshei Yisroel.
I happen to support the law regarding metzitza b’peh, but that’s not what this article is about. It’s awful how Bloomberg feels there’s nothing wrong with making a disparaging comment about frum Jews. Would he ever talk this way about any other ethnic group? That he stood up to 10,000 men in dredlocks and “do-rags”? To 10,000 women in burkas? To 10,000 people with red dots between their eyes?
Bloomberg gets it.
We should his immediate resignation for speaking so disrespectful about frum jews
This is what happenes when we listen to our so called askanim & not our true beliefs we should vote Republican all the way that goes even in the new super jewish district we should not vote for Felder only Strobin
It’s easy to bash the “black hats” because he knows we are not a violent people. He wouldn’t dare make an equally racist statement about any other group for fear of reprisals. shame on this self-hating jew!!
Mr Mayor, you didn’t stand up against 10K people in black hats, YOU STOOD UP AGAINST HKB’H. And just like all the other r’shoyim before you who have stood up to HKBH, starting from those mentioned in Parshas B’rayshis ad hayom ha’zeh, one thing is for sure, which is, G-D has the last laugh.
You are a little pipsqueak and you will suffer like you never suffered before. I wonder what kind of mida k’neged mida punishment HKBH has in mind for you.
ROSHA!!!!!
Let us not forget that this fellow visited the satmar sukka in willamsburgh and was given a royal reception. Attention all machers and askanim! Bloomy would have lost the election if not for the hasidic vote! Just remember that and before endorsing any liberal politician have in mind the ramifications it will have down the road.
He is such an ugly person There is no worst describe him . I think he is pretty much like Obama it’s called a Narcissis
I guess it’s a good thing I don’t wear a black hat
Mayor Bloomberg is a good and kindhearted person and he is fighting for what’s right. Anyone who is practicing the art of circumcision must have a clean Bill of Health, regardless of what the law in New York is, Torah law demands it when it says “ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם”, and the Jewish community must demand it on its own.
Our great mayor just said he will spend millions to support “gay marriage” not sure what that includes to quote the mayor “They do what!” .
actually G marriage is even older then bris milah it was a highly fashinable in the great city of Sedom!!
I wear a black hat and feel insulted by the Mayor’s remark. Clearly a bigoted remark. HZe would never speak about any other minority like that.
Psssst.. Mike.
I have news for you. You are completely disingenuous in claiming that metzitzah b’peh is an “unpopular position”. Hogwash! In your circles, and with your base, opposition to this practice is the norm.
In fact, had you supported the 10,000 black hatters- THAT would be the unpopular position. So your’e a coward, a bully, and a fraud.
Speaking of which reminds me why you are truly unpopular;
A) the fact that HP fleeced your highness to the tune upwards of 347 MILLION $$$.
B) the fact that auditors have uncovered massive cost overruns in your administrations feeble attempt to overhaul the 911 system. How massive? Close to
a BILLION $$$.
C) F.D.N.Y’s “GPS” debacle that has some firetrucks stranded on the bottom of N.Y. harbor.
Now, to the outsized buffoon on public display short mike. The piece of garbage you are by violating your own term limits. The arrogant hooligan you are by covering your
inability to manage the city budget by flooding small business and middle class neighborhoods with ticket writers.
I cannot wait to be rid of your arrogant, overbearing, controlling, narcissistic non persona, along with your wife abusing, snowstorm bungler extraordinaire.
be prepared for all your rights & freedoms to be taken away slowly but surely-not in one shot-& soon WE will not be able to live in the USA as frum yidden. all our rights & freedoms are being taken from us one at a time & the USA is about to become what used to be communist russia
pack your bags NOW & head for Eretz Yisroel, while the pressure is not so hard & before america is attacked by iran. for then it will be too late & everyone will be leaving in poverty, wishing they had left-now-when they were told.
BOTTOM LINE:this is all the work of Hashem & the choice is yours if you wish to leave now or wait & suffer ahead C”V
Well here we go again, this skunk shooting his mouth off with “Black Hats” had he opposed the mosque near the world trade center would he dear say that he stood up to 10,000 “Turbans”.
Our farfirrers in the community supporting him for a third term, making money in his campaign that has never been accounted for.
This skunk has insulted a handi-cap reporter, elected officials who disagree with his policy and many others because his money cant buy the prescription to stop his diarrhea in his mouth, kind of wonder at his circumcision if he had mezizah b’pah-some reporter should ask him.
As for the John Q Public in the Jewish Community, next time you see these self hating and self serving Jews from your community self appointed leaders bring these skunks to Ra-Bunim to get a blessing and ask for their support, vote the other way and don’t take your children into these Ra-Bnim to shake their hands.
Let mayor Bloomberg be a Kappurah for all of klal yisroeal yemach shemo v’zicroh
Mike, what have you done for Jewish religion?
thruought jewish history- our worst enemies were our own…..our own enemies have hurt us the most. The ones born jewish… they cant stomach their identity and heritage and the fact that they had no choice to be born jewish or not…
Guess what Mr. Mike Bloomberg- 1) Hitler would march you together with me andd the 10,000 black hatters to the gas chambers. the jews that worked with the nazi’s were killed in the end…
2)Dor haflaga- in the BIBLE- there were more than 10,000 people who attempted to build with the goal of reaching heaven and G-D and waging war with Him…well He got them before they even finished dreaming…..Playing around with the foundation of Judaism- Bris Millah- is not a joke- and with your conceited attitude…. i pity you as one day the rug will be pulled out from under you- by G-D.
3) you bring proof- muzlims? thats a joke…of course you stood up for THEIR religious rights- becasue you are a jew and want to prove your’e unbiased. That is why it is never good to have a jew in the white house. if he defends Israel and jewish needs- others will get upset and rear their anti semitic colors…
I know there are those with strong feelings with respect to these issues but I feel that because the frum community stuck its nose where it didn’t belong with respect to same sex marriage so now the government is sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong with respect to brissim
What’s Jewish about him besides his name?