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

[Terypat]

It sounds like the good Mayor has no tolerence for imperfection.

I'd like to see him conduct HIS daily life (if only for a day) from a wheelchair!!

[socks1]

Note to viewers: NYC might be over the recession!!!!!! Ya think!!!! A major portion of the stimulous went directly into NYC's financial coffers.

Lordie, if 2% of what was given to the wealthy corrupt in NYC had instead been given to Missouri, or Dolorado, the people there would have thought Christmas had arrived earlie.

[harriscrl3]

I'm a Bklynite and I would love to know the answer to that myself. The reporter is not the disgraced one Bloomberg is for thinking this is not a legitimate question and for turning NYC into a dictatorship as if only Michael Bloomberg can save us.

Give me a break you use his money to get to run for another term. I dont find that impressive I find it disturbing. I'd rather stay home than go and vote for that.

Carol

[SmallChange]

Carol, I agree with everything you said except where you say you'd rather stay home than go and vote. It is precisely that reason that should compel you to go and vote. Bloomberg wasn't a pol when he was first elected but he is now and pols do not like it when people go out and vote in droves that's, he's been very testy for months when asked about term limits. A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

Exercising your right to vote it is the most powerful voice that you have whether your candidate wins or not. My folks always said that if you don't vote you have no right to complain. So Carol as a Bklynite do your thing girl, join us in voting against the Bloomberg machine.

[harriscrl3]

I will go vote. He made it easy for me when he chose to run as a republican now I can go vote for the democrat. Whoever he or she maybe. I was worried he would run as a democrat and I would have to vote for the republican talk about out of the fryingpan and into the fire but he made it easy for me when place himself on the republican ticket

Carol

[HarlemFreeThought]

Carol:, check and see if the council person in you area voted for the extension. http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/council-to-debate-term-limits-change/
send a message and Vote Them OUT.
as for mayor check out Tony Avella

[x004Ronin]

2 things:
Bloomberg needs to learn how to keep his cool. The question wasn't insulting or demeaning: to be blunt, "Why do want a third term as mayor?" should be one of the easiest questions out there.

Also, Bloomberg has a point: If NYC voters don't like the idea of someone serving more than 2 terms...well, they can always vote against him.

[harriscrl3]

I disagree with your second point. He is a billionaire he can fund his own campaign the playing field is NOT even so he is going to win regardless of whether people support this third term nonsense. He stacked the deck in his favor and then had people vote on it. How is that remotely fair. He should NOT be running again PERIOD give someone else a chance. Even Guliani didnt run again after 911 and Bloomberg think what he is so special only he can fix NY. I blame Fernando Ferrer cause Mark Green would have been a very good mayor. Instead we had BLoomberg the first time the second time and now he wants a third time.

Of course he is going to win and money talks so he will get a third term to increas his personal wealth although he will claim I'm not doing tis for the money he increased his weatlh by billions the first time he ran.

Carol

[brics]

Bloomberg humilliated two disabled people instead of one, The mayor was very insensitive with the wheelchair-bound reporter and also very RUDe with the legally-blind New York Governor David Paterson as well. What a shame NYC.

[gakabani]

Bloom is a opportunistic politician, he runs with the wave. When asked a real serious question, he runs for cover by insulting people. Typical prepotent, disgraceful person.

[jlab]

Interesting definition of "serious".

[bibimimi]

Rudy wanted to be King, now Bloomie wants a 3 term Reign.

Seems that job attracts the creme of the a-hole crop!

[Billie]

After he buys his re-election, Bloomberg will probably have big dictator-type posters of himself put up all over the city so we see him watching us where ever we go.

[cowman]

I don't see much of an issue here really. What does the economy have to do with term limits and what's wrong with waiting for someone playing music at a press conference to stop before continuing? It's like when Gibby took the cell phone - it's disrespectful and how was Bloomberg to know a photographer accidentally activated the reporter's whatever-it-was? Even if it was an accident he just waited for the music to be turned off. In politics I think anything that cuts down on the shouting is probably a good thing and good stage management. If you're making an important announcement do you really want people spending the whole time wondering what the music in the background is? When did simple rules of order, decorum, and manners become such an unreasonable expectation? And asking about a relationship between the economy and term limits would almost be like asking how the war in Iraq caused Prop 8 to pass.

[TallyLass]

He has ALWAYS seemed like an egomaniac/arrogant jerk to me.

[Cookie100]

There you have it folks. These 'disgraceful' reporters also LIVE in NYC, they're his constituents!

God forbid a taxpayers asks a question

Shawn Dreary you're absurd!

[JZ735]

Isn't it awful if a reporter asks him a question he needs to be asked?

[tploomis]

This guy needs to lighten up a bit. He's too full of himself.

[mesmorize3]

Looks like Bloomberg is going to buy the mayor's office for a third term*.

[JZ735]

The fact that he is allowed to is absurd...and if the voters let him, then they are as absurd as he is...reminds me of CT voters picking Lieberman or Alaskans choosing Palin...

[873450]

He already bought NYC for chump change.

After he quit the dems and joined the repugs to buy NYC the 1st time, Bloombucks quit the repugs and was ready to spend $500 million buying the White House hoping a big enough hole would open in the middle of the electorate if Hillary and Rudy were nominated and subsequently tore each other to pieces.

When that didn't happen buying NYC for a 3rd time became a disappointing Plan "B" option Bloombucks didn't want.

Bloombucks doesn't care how much it will cost and how many politicians and judges he has to bribe to get mandatory term limiting election laws tossed out the window because he's a billionaire and knows what's best for us.

[Samalabear]

This sounds entirely plausible.

[liecatcher]

The real disgrace is what Bloomberg did to the Bronx with the Yankee Stadium scam.

[JZ735]

One of many disgraces this Mayor has brought on NYC...the streets are the filthiest they have been in 15 years, the number of homeless has gone up dramatically...for all his serious faults, Rudy managed to keep the city clean...