Fair Weather Friend

To the Editor:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s victory was assisted by a number of Democratic senators, members of Congress, state legislators, borough presidents and City Council members who crossed party lines to endorse him or stay officially neutral. But yesterday’s friends will quickly become strangers, having no incentive to help Bloomberg govern during his third term. And Bloomberg will once again abandon the Republican Party, whose ballot line he “rented” for convenience in winning a third term.
Watch Bloomberg return the “favors” bestowed upon him in 2009 by endorsing prominent Democrats, such as Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand. Bloomberg’s reelection strategy was deliberate in not spending any significant time campaigning and fundraising for GOP challengers running for city comptroller, public advocate, borough president and virtually all City Council seats. He didn’t want to increase turnout of registered Democrats or offend incumbent Democrat Party public officials. The mayor could have sacrificed some of his victory margin by assisting underdog GOP candidates, but he was too preoccupied with his own reelection.
By failing to help rebuild the New
York City Republican brand in 2009, he
has doomed their chances for winning any statewide offices in 2010. History has shown that you can’t win statewide without a decent showing in New York City.

Larry Penner
Great Neck, Long Island

Letters have been edited for clarity, style and brevity.

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