Pay to Publish

There's this tidbit in this morning's MY Daily News about tomorrow's election that put a smile on our face (via Liz): "Bloomberg is the one with endorsements from 61 papers - not just the three major dailies, but also dozens of tiny neighborhood weeklies that thrived on Bloomberg advertising dollars." A representative of Mayor Bloomberg called me, and he made it very clear to me that I know how it's done. And I had to join the program, and the earlier I endorsed him, the more money I'd get," said Jerry Lippman, publisher of the Manhattan Jewish Sentinel and the Long Island Jewish World. His papers endorsed Thompson, all 30,000 weekly copies of them.

Howie Wolfson, a man of unquestionable probity and integrity, had this response-one that couldn't pass the smell test in the bronchitis ward full of congested pleurisy sufferers: "Bloomberg spokesman Howard Wolfson denied the allegation: "We have advertised in dozens of papers that have not endorsed the mayor. We try not to advertise in publications that don't have significant readership in the five boroughs, like this one."

So, let's get this straight. Every one of the 61 prescient publications that have endorsed our philosopher king had a larger circulation than the Jewish Sentinel? And the Riverdale Review as well? Oh please! This is all part of the grand spending spree that is euphemistically being called a campaign. And Lupica is right-he better win big for this kind of serious coin drop.