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.

*********************************************
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."

Story continues below

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

[Freenation]

truth hurts, Mr. Bloomberg...

[OregonGary]

Time to say buh bye Michael

[happycat]

Heil Bloomberg. I will not be voting for that fascist. He was asked a perfectly legitimate question. We New Yorkers voted several years ago for term limits. What Bloomberg is doing is completely illegal.

[ywcachieve]

Then why let him get away with it?

[happycat]

That's a great question. All of his dissenters seem to get quashed.

[JustLeftOfRight]

Hey, we all have short tempers at times. It would have been better if he personally apologized to this reporter, but maybe there's a past history with him that we don't know about. From what I've read this is normal for Bloomberg though and if New Yorkers are happy with his mayoral performance, so be it. They can decide at the ballot box, can't they?

[happycat]

That is fine and dandy, except that nobody can afford to run against the guy.

[edwarvir]

who does he think he is that you can't ask him
a question.? .

[Feanor]

How dare that reporter ask a difficult question!

I don't get it... why hasn't Bloomberg bribed him like he has everyone else?

[voltage356]

Bloomberg is a disgrace for steamrolling the voters of NYC.

[ywcachieve]

They let him.

[VirginiaJeff]

Bloomberg has long since passed the point where he believes his own myth. Like when Giuliani thought only he could run Manhattan after 9/11.

[lynettema]

Kind of an arrogant s.o.b., huh?

[Scorch20]

Hope the people of NY vote his a.(s)s out. Its people like him who thinks he is entitled. TIme for the people to show him he is not.

[Lion24]

It's time for Bloomberg to leave. Just go away. Off into the sunset. We wish to see your back.

[mamala4]

I wish we had mayoral term limits here in Chicago...in any event, If I lived in NYC (i used to), I wouldn't vote for Napoleon!

[marinade]

NYC would not survive without Bloomberg........

[happycat]

NYC would do just fine without him. I cannot stand that arrogant jerk.

[Samalabear]

NYC isn't going to survive with Bloomberg.

[lbcny]

ny to bloomberg. go away.

[Tommygun264]

In the immortal words of Divine, "it's the little ones that always got something to prove".

[gavrielle]

This is why there are term limits. Bloomberg has had enough. He's becoming short tempered and dictatorial.Not only New York will suffer if he stays in office.

[Tommygun264]

Yeah, he's almost as bad as Rudy.

[Ramus]

He is NOT as bad as Rudy. In fact I like Bloomberg and think he has done an excellent job as mayor. I don't think there should be any term limits for any elected official. If the voters don't want them they will vote them out. And Rudy? There is no comparison. Rudy is the genius who, AFTER the World Trade Center bombing in 1993, decided to put the new office of emergency management IN the World Trade Center! Rudy is an idiot Mike is very very smart...and effective. They are opposites.

[happycat]

I agree!