The 2009 Vote

Candidates debate gun laws

Bloomberg leads by 12 in new poll

A new Eyewitness News poll shows Bill Thompson trailing Mayor Bloomberg  by 12 points.  Bloomberg has 53 percent, Thompson 41 percent.  The poll by Survey USA has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1 percent.

 

There are just two weeks left before election day.    A new round of attack ads is about to hit the airwaves, painting Bloomberg as an out of touch billionaire.  You can watch political reporter Dave Evans' report below.

Bloomberg, Thompson meet in first debate

City Comptroller William Thompson Jr. lobbed multiple attacks at Mayor Michael Bloomberg in their first debate on Tuesday.  Thompson called Bloomberg a liar and said he spends an obscene amount of money buying votes and support for his policies.

Bloomberg, who has spent $64.8 million on his campaign for a third term, said he has only done what's best for New Yorkers, and he came back at Thompson with his own attacks. 

The two candidates meet once more in a debate on Channel 7 and 7online.com on October 27 at 7:00 p.m.

Thompson gets support from Obama

It might not have been exactly how Bill Thompson wanted it, but he has received support from President Barack Obama.

 

The White House says Obama has tremendous respect for New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, but is supporting the Democrat running against him. White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said in response to a question that Obama is the leader of the Democratic party, "and as that, would support the Democratic nominee."

 

Gibbs did not mention Thompson by name. He did note Obama's high regard for Bloomberg.

 

In his statement, Mr. Thompson said, "I am grateful and encouraged to receive the support of the president of the United States, especially on the day that Barack Obama is named a Nobel Prize Winner. It is a point of personal pride to receive this endorsement since I made my final decision to run for mayor of this great city while waiting on line to vote for President Obama. New Yorkers supported President Obama in historic numbers on November 4, 2008, and I look forward to that same support on November 3, 2009. I am deeply honored and thank our president for his support and confidence that I will be the next mayor of New York City."

 

Thompson targets Bloomberg on term limits

Less than a month away from New York City's mayoral election and the already bitter race between Michael Bloomberg and Bill Thompson is growing even more contentious.  On Thursday, Thompson launched his toughest attack yet. In the last couple of weeks, Bill Thompson has gone after the mayor on things like school reform and fiscal management of the city. So far, there doesn't seem to be a lot of traction on those issues. But the mayor may be vulnerable on something that upset quite a few voters - the term-limit law change. And on that, Thompson is hammering Bloomberg.

 

In a small rally at city hall Thursday morning and in a new round of TV commercials, Bill Thompson is seeking to remind voters about last year's push by the mayor to change the term-limit law.

 

"We haven't forgotten about it now," Thompson said. "And we're taking a stand against eight years of Mike Bloomberg's lies and hypocrisy."

 

Thompson called Bloomberg's action an egregious abuse of power. Last year, the mayor changed the term limit law, despite two votes by the public in the 90s in favor of term limits.

 

"He lied to us and he betrayed our trust," Thompson said. "He claims to be above politics, but you and I know what he did was the worst kind of politics that there is."

 

"The voters are going to have their opportunity to say something in 26 days," Bloomberg said.

 

The mayor shrugged off Thompson's latest attack, saying he changed the rules because a lot of New Yorkers wanted him to.

 

"The city is a lot better than it was eight years ago," Bloomberg said. "And there are an awful lot of people that kept asking me to stay around and continue the progress."

 

Instead of talking much about term limits, the mayor made a play for the immigrant vote, saying in this city of immigrants, he wants to help more people learn English. He's pushing for immigration reform in Congress.

Thompson goes on the attack

William Thompson is turning up the heat on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The democrat is running his first attack ads of the race starting on Wednesday. One focuses on how Bloomberg had the term-limits law changed so he could run again. The other says New Yorkers are being squeezed
by fees and taxes.

Paterson and Obama

The governor played it nice with the president, trying to explain away Monday's awkward greeting in Troy and what's been called an icy reception a few minutes later.

"I thought he was gracious to me, he spoke to me, asked me how I was feeling, expressed a little chagrin about the process in this situation," Paterson said on Tuesday.

The president's staff has told Paterson he can't win next year. They're worried about tough election fights in 2010. A loss at the top of the ticket in New York could have a trickle down effect and hurt upstate congressmen.... or perhaps Senator Gillibrand....  All of them needed for the president's agenda in Washington.

Pataki making a comeback?

Sounds like former Republican Gov. George Pataki may be tossing his hat into the ring again.  He spoke Monday for the Republican National Committee after Democratic President Barack Obama's visit to New York.  He's considering several opportunities that could get him back in New York politics, including a run for the U.S. Senate.  A Marist College poll last week found Pataki would beat Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand by 48 percent to 44 percent, even though the three-term governor isn't saying he'll return to politics. Pataki also says fellow Republican Rudy Giuliani is still seriously considering a run for governor.

Gov. Paterson backs Thompson for Mayor

Cy Vance talks to Eyewitness News

Dave Evans sits down with the future Manhattan District Attorney about his plans.