Mandate for Modesty?

In today's Post John Podhoretz writes about the mayor's second term and counsels Mike to "do nothing new." Part of his reasoning derives from the belief that the mayor is ill-suited to political combat and, should he attempt to pick a fight, it will likely end badly for him. Therefore, Bloomberg is better advised, says Podhoretz, to "continue on his modest and effective course..."

All of which is good advise if everything remains, in the words of the late Al McGuire, "seashells and balloons." Politics, however, is not always that accommodating and given the fiscal uncertainties in particular the mayor may be confronted with the need to show the kind of creative leadership that he's so far given no hint of actually possessing.

Still, as Fred Siegel suggests, also in today's Post, the mayor's one saving grace outside of his fortune is that, although "less than competent" he is marginally better than Ferrer in understanding the new powers of the mayoralty. Hopefully, if crisis does hit, he'll be able to surprise all of us skeptics.