Bloomberg Calls Reporter "A Disgrace" For Questioning Why He's Running For Third Term (VIDEO)

UPDATE: Azi Paybarah, the reporter scolded by Mayor Bloomberg, writes that mayoral spokesman Stu Loeser called "to relay an apology" from Bloomberg.

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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is known for sometimes having a short temper with pesky reporters.

On Thursday, the mayor lost his cool when asked about his rationale for running for a third term as mayor, calling the inquiring reporter "a disgrace."

Since Bloomberg has been recently claiming that the city had turned the corner on the recession after citing the economic slump as his rationale for running again, the New York Observer's Azi Paybarah wanted to know how the mayor could justify his current campaign.

Bloomberg interrupted Paybarah: "Why don't you just get serious questions here?"

Then, he interrupted once more to add, "The rationale for extending term limits is the City Council voted it and the public's going to have a chance on Nov. 3 to say what they want."

"I don't think we have to keep coming back to that... If you have a serious question about the economy, I will be happy to answer it."

After ending the news conference, Bloomberg thanked everyone and stared at Paybarah, saying "You're a disgrace."

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Watch the video:

Paybarah's editor at the Observer, Josh Benson, told the NY Daily News:

"It was a reasonable question," Benson said.

"We're comfortable leaving it to everyone else to judge the quality of the response."

Earlier in the year, Bloomberg made headlines at another news conference when he lost his temper with a wheelchair-bound reporter whose tape recorder accidentally started playing after he was bumped by a photographer.

The mayor halted his speech, refusing to continue for 1 minute and 36 seconds, until the reporter, Michael Harris, fixed his recorder.

When legally-blind New York Governor David Paterson told a joke and New York City Council speaker Christine Quinn told the mayor, "He's disabled," Bloomberg snapped: "OK, I understand that - he can still turn it off."

The mayor later apologized to Harris.

Watch the video of the earlier encounter:

Comments

[robbep]

Long live the king!!!

[Darsan54]

A little bit of over-reaction on the Mayor's and the media's part, I would say. Sure it was a legitimate question and Bloomberg's answer was d**kish. But to somehow say from one (or even a couple of incidents) the man is a thug and unqualified to be mayor is also overkill. All powerful men have to be a bit of d**k to get ahead. Doesn't excuse their behavior just puts it in an understandable context.

Just take your lumps and move on!

[kareemachan]

They also need to be able to answer questions from the press that they should have seen coming from a mile away!

[westreal]

Was I just watching Hugo Chavez? Because Bloomberg is eerily trying to circumvent the law in order to keep power. Can you say... dictatorship? And the way he addressed that reporter sends a message to other reporters not to question his authority. This is a very, very bad thing for New York (and our country) if they allow him to serve a third term.

[gio613]

At least Venezuela's population had to go to the ballot box to approve multiple terms for the president.

[The Albany Kid]

NYC dserves a mayor with the toughness of Guiliani and the social graces / kindness of David Dinkins.

[mivogo]

They have one. Bloomberg has kept Guiliani's tough policies on crime in NYC without alienating minorities and picking fights. The social grace/kindness of Dinkens?? You've got to be kidding.
"Albany Kid", read Primary Colors to find the true nature of "sweet" Mayor Dinkens. A nasty, clubhouse politician who's policies made living in NYC a nightmare (it is now the safest big city in the U.S., according to FBI statistics).

[HarlemFreeThought]

Thompson current NYC Comptroller is a total joke. He recently was endorsed by Charles Rangel on a Saturday morning @ 7:30AM!!!! only to show Democratic "unity". Rangel and bloomberg share a big man-crush . Tony Avella's platform, speaks for the working, and middle class in the city. He is the most progressive of the candidates, but is grossly out-financed by Bloomberg. http://www.tonyavellaformayor.com
Anthony Wiener, has decided not to enter the race.
So NY'ers sad to say we may be stuck with King Bloomberg.

[chocolatecity]

The right answer would have been to say that the recovery will be a long time coming even after the recession is officially over. If Bloomberg thinks that he is the best man to lead that recovery, then that's fine but the question was hardly disgraceful.

[Scooter60660]

He wants to be like Daley in Chicago. Both men haven't stolen enough, they need more time.

[rudiy]

I have concerns about Bloomberg running for a third term, but to say he is doing it for the money means you have no idea who he is.

[redkim]

Plus they don't realize that Bloomberg has decided not to take the mayoral pay. It's not about money for him, at least not directly. It's more about power.

[merrill1]

It is an idiotic question with an obvious answer. Journalists routinely waste their opportunities and the public's time with "no duh" questions rather than learning enough about issues to ask substantive questions. He is a disgrace to the profession, and he has many companions.

[ramper]

That did not seem to be such a foolish question. However, reporters do go overboard with repetitious questions and in some cases absolutely dumb questions. The worst i ever heard was a sports reporter asking a basketball player "how did you get so tall?" I kid you not. The answer was a classic. The player (whose name I cannot remember) said, "It was in my genetic schematic.­"

[nycvagabond]

how many of you people talking down about bloomberg actually live in nyc? very few i bet..

[Samalabear]

I would say most here live in one of the FIVE boroughs of New York City. My brother lives in Queens. He wants Bloomberg gone. I lived in Queens a great deal of my life and NYC has been the center of my life for most of it. As Guiliani, Bloomberg believes there is only ONE borough and that is Manhattan, which he has turned into a playground for the wealthy while marginalizing everyone else. Guiliani started this -- gentrification. And I won't even get into the World Trade Center mess -- shameful. Add in the Mets and Yankee ballpark fiasco. Here's a very good commentary on that:

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/20090522_the_house_that_taxpayers_built/

[oceanlover]

Honestly! nycvagabond clearly has not been reading the majority of the postings because so many of them speak directly about issues that only NYers would know/care about.

[AlexNYC]

I agree that Bloomberg does marginalize those that are not wealthy. I want a mayor that looks out for the common good of all people not just the rich. Most people that I talk to don't want him as a 3rd term mayor, but it's obvious that there is no viable candidate who is willing to oppose him without his billions.

[SEQUOIABISON]

We get a slight glimpse of the rich guys true temperament, arrogant and intolerant. He is almost normal for a moderate republican but I think its time to replace him with a Democrat, after two terms as mayor the power trip is starting to go to his head.

[jazzblues]

Absolutely agree with you...

[redkim]

To be honest with you, in terms of the mayor of NYC, party affiliation is irrelevant. They aren't voted on because of which party they belong to, but because which one will leave most New Yorkers alone.

[HC4BO]

McCain Redux ???

[wolvie]

This is not democracy,this is exactly the opposite.H­es got the money to beat anyone else Rep
or Dem.Whats gonna happen when he feels like using his money to change other laws to fit
his agenda.Thi­s is perfect proof that politics and politicians are all about money,otherwise
they would have never allowed him to run again.

[solarian]

what a loser take your money and go away

[buckbuck11]

Republicans love term limits until they get into office.

Bloomberg is a ly.in.g b ul ly.

He gives lip service about supporting GLBT marriage, but when given a court decision that would have allowed him to issue marriage licenses to GLBT couple, he fought it in the court of appeals and set back the cause by several years.

I'm not sure what the people of NYC see in this th.ug. No matter how strong the democratic challenger, Bloomers can tap into his billions and outspend him or her.

What a maroon!