Bloomberg Challenges Ognibene’s Signatures

Most of the local press is reporting that Mayor Bloomberg, reversing his earlier position on the issue of ballot challenges, had decided to challenge the nominating signatures of Tom Ognibene. The Mayor clearly wants to avoid an annoying primary, one that would at the every least expose his lack of an real Republican or conservative credentials (no one seriously thinks that Tom could beat Bloomberg since everyone, including the voters apparently, has been bought and paid for).

What the mayor wants everyone to forget is what he told the New York Sun last year: that ballot challenges are like a “cottage industry” where you try to avoid having to “beat the other guy based on positions or your ability to serve.” After saying this, the mayor went on to advocate the end to this “gotcha” technique.

Now, however, the Mayor’s head has apparently cleared and expedience steamrolls principal, as it always has for the philosophically-neutered mayor. What it points to, though, is the increasing dangers involved in a second term for Mike Bloomberg. If the Mayor has no real bedrock beliefs there is literally nothing he won’t do, particularly if he no longer is forced to appeal to crass mass sentiment.

Perhaps the Democratic challengers should invite Tom Ognibene to a press conference where all of them could link arms and expose this chameleon for the insincere man he apparently is. Time is running out on all of them.

Update: Interesting. A search of Bloomberg News for Ognibene results in 0 hits.