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

[Shawn Drewry]

At least Mayor Bloomberg was humble and nice enough to acknowledge he lost his cool and apologize :-)

http://www.ShawnDrewry.com

http://www.YouTube.com/DrewryOnlineLive

[JZ735]

OH PLEASE...h­is apologies are lame, at best.

[BlackYowe]

New York City is so jaded they should run Bloomberg out of town on a rail and tell him their city is not for sale but it was and is still for sale and Bloomberg owns it. I am sickened by this, New York is responsible for much for the corrupt, greedy culture that pervades the business world in the USA. They need to wake up and clean up their act. Start now NY and turn out this mayor who thinks he is king.

[JZ735]

Yes, NY has a certain cavalier attitude about this, and the Mayor is a part of this...som­e NYers think that their city is beyond criticism, but as a former native son, my city long ago disappeared, one where you could still find a place to live without having to be an investment banker...t­he once vibrant East Village, now turned into a ghastly playground for yuppies and their hideous designer buildings that look like they came from some ugly Soviet bloc country.

[jesstickles]

HE CANT WIN IF WE DON'T VOTE FOR HIM.......­..VERY SIMPLE!!!! MONEY OR NO MONEY. ITS OUR CHOICE!!!
ANYBODY BUT BLOOMBERG!!!

[Nofsdad]

A typical member of the nobility putting a pesky serf in his place.

[TallyLass]

lol

[ywcachieve]

Bloomberg is a disgrace, switching from party to party, back and forth.

[sandistorms]

WTF does Patterson have to do with this story?

[pbeat]

Balloonburg is the hot air disgrace. Why people keep electing rich tyrants, I will never know. Don't they know New York is Democratic? Elect a DEMOCRAT, New York. This is another liar and thier. Don't buy his bullying/

[Leo Leonardo]

Little Mikey, YOU are disgrace!!.
You are using your billions to buy this office for a 3rd time because its free marketing for the Bloomberg name, business and your GIGANTIC ego!.
The millionaire elites who own the media conglomerates based in NYC don't want to cross him since they are friends and neighbors so no one questions his imperial decisions.
He has bought off and intimidated every single advocacy group and religious organization in the City.
Imagine if 8 million people in several states did not have a choice in their elected leaders - we would consider that an outrage but its OK if New Yorkers don't get representative government

[John Horner]

What is sad is that the voters of New York City appear to be easily bought.

[jsgaetano]

Bloomberg may have money, but it apparently can't buy class.

[repugnicansfearme]

People, contact the FCC and your Congressman. Shell Oil is peddling crapola ads on TV which state they make a gasoline which CLEANS YOUR ENGINE. This is bogus, folks. Can't happen, nope, nada, no way. They are lying and got away with it under Bush, but it should not be happening now.

[Swooper420]

repug... stop trying to hijack the thread.... your complaint has nothing to do with anything being discussed here!

[henrypapillon]

Never question the plantationmaster of New York.

[Brooklyn49]

As a New Yorker, I think the disgrace is that we cannot find a viable candidate to oppose Bloomberg. His preference for quick and shoddy construction at the expense of safety, the middle class, and simple aesthetics, his stunningly heavy-handed approach to controlling FDNY and the NYPD, his pervasive arrogance, etc, etc, have done real damage to this city.

[Pete2069]

Do you not believe that his ties to certain organizations have something to do with him receiving this power..


Our laws mean nothing to the rich and famous..

[Brooklyn49]

I'm not sure what "organizations" you mean; and our laws must mean something to Elliot Spitzer, Bernie Madoff, Fred Richmond (for those old enough to remember), et al. We just can't seem, for whatever reason, to get our act together. That New Yorkers are now repped by a weak, former Lt Governor, an unlikely senator, and a control-freak of a mayor is beyond disheartening and pathetic. We can say what we want about smoke-filled rooms, but the pickings decades ago were not as slim as they seem to be now. I don't know what the explanation is, but I don't think it's all just about dollars.

[villagetwist]

Unfortunately, because no one wants to tick off a billionaire (who knows what future contributions he might make to who knows which campaign coffers), the Democrats in NYC have all cut their deals with Bloomberg for this third term. The reporter asked a question that is going to keep coming up and which Bloomberg cannot truthfully answer..."­I like this job and I'm keeping it. Enough said!" But since he and those who voted to ignore the will of the voters in enacting term limits, the question should be, "Since you don't care about my vote before, why are you asking for it now?" Maybe a case could have been made to by-pass term limits, but the decision should have been made by the voters.

[KayDGee]

With the typical CEO mentality, resulting from legions of underpaid employees cowering before him, Bloomberg does his alpha male silverback imitation for the press. Is hissing 'despicable' the politician's version of the mafia's kiss of death?