Freddy Ferrer's Amnesia

Freddy Ferrer is younger than we are, but we're afraid he must be suffering from senile dementia-how else to explain his screed against Democrats who fail to come to the aid of Bill Thompson? Here's what he told Dominick Carter on NY1: "In an impassioned interview with NY1, former Democratic mayoral candidate Fernando Ferrer called on President Barack Obama and other prominent Democrats to support their party’s nominee, Bill Thompson, in the mayor’s race."

Really? Is this the same Ferrer who sabotaged Democratic nominee Mark Green in 2001? Now we know there was a great deal of acrimony between the two back then; but Freddy, in a fit of pique, sat on his hands back then and insured by doing so that plutocrat Bloomberg would come from behind and win. As Wayne Barrett describes it: "A couple of days before the general election in 2001, Ferrer called Green, who had just beaten him in the runoff, and demanded that he fire Kest, holding the organizer responsible for Green-tied leaflets that the Ferrer camp called racist. Green refused, and an outraged Ferrer failed to appear at a unity dinner that night, a decisive snub that contributed to Bloomberg's triumph."

But that was then, and this is now: "I think the president should endorse the Democratic nominee --- period, paragraph, end of story," Ferrer told NY1 Political Anchor Dominic Carter.
During the interview that will air on “Road to City Hall” at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Ferrer also criticized former Vice President Al Gore for speaking highly of the mayor at a recent public appearance.


Fernando Ferrer: "I think the president should endorse the Democratic nominee -- period, paragraph, end of story."


Dominic Carter: "Wow, but he hasn't."

Fernando Ferrer: "And he should."


Dominic Carter: "And there are indications the White House could possibly wait and do nothing."

Fernando Ferrer: "Again it is Catch 22...you're imposing on Bill Thompson the task of trying to make up what high-profile democrats have done to him..."


Dominic Carter: "Al Gore is one of those Democrats?"

Fernando Ferrer: "Yes. Send it to him.....It seems to me when it’s convenient for you to say ‘Be a Democrat and support the Democratic nominee. Support the Democratic party. When it’s not convenient for to you or some other interests you say ‘I can sort of stray from this rule.’ it either is or it isn't."


Well, in our view, the only reason we have Mike Bloomberg, for an unwarranted third term no less, is because when it came down to crunch time eight years ago, Freddy Ferrer took his Democratic ball and stayed home with it. For him to lecture others now on how to behave is jaw dropping in its arrogant airbrushing of his own spoiled brat behavior-kind of like comparing Pedro Espada-as a "thug"-to Ramon Velez, Ferrer's former mentor and the one man truly responsible for his political career. In fact, that is the one thing we have ever held against the Fatman, may he rest in peace.

Update

Michael Goodwin reminds us in the NY Post today that we should never forget the stopped clock principle-and in the case of Freddy Ferrer and Mike Bloomberg, it sure is applicable; no matter how much animus we feel about the former Bronx BP: "Bill Thompson is a lonely man. New York City's comptroller won his party's nomination for mayor, but Democratic big wigs are not rushing to help him win. The holdouts start with President Obama, who found time to try to nudge Gov. Paterson out of next year's race, but hasn't endorsed Thompson and may not, his office says. In a trip to the city, Obama hailed incumbent Republican Michael Bloomberg as an "outstanding mayor."

What's the president's reasoning here? "Bloomberg also has a 16-point lead, and few pols want to get on the wrong side of the richest man in New York, especially if he is going to win. Obama aides reportedly said he would help Thompson only if the gap closed to low single digits. That's a strange stance for a man who once trailed Hillary Rodham Clinton by 30 points. Then again, all politics is personal."

And when it comes to principle, apparently the president spells the word with a pal at the end. So, we guess, Ferrer is quite right-even though he might not be the best messenger for this collective Democratic timidity.