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Mar 27, 2008 7:18 pm US/Eastern
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No Endorsement; Bloomberg Plays It Down The Middle
Mayor Introduces Obama At Cooper Union For Speech On The Economy
Reporting
Jay Dow
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Sen. Barack Obama stood side-by-side once again Thursday, nearly four months after their mystery breakfast outing at a Manhattan diner. This time, Obama was in town to deliver what was billed as a major speech on the economy, while many believed Bloomberg was poised to deliver his endorsement.
With all eyes on the mayor as he walked onto the stage at The Cooper Union, Bloomerg introduced the Illinois senator, and while there was plenty of speculation of the endorsement, instead he played it down the middle.
"I'm glad that Sen. Obama has chosen come to our city to speak out on the economy. There will be plenty of opinions on what he has to say, this is New York, after all. And I'm not sure that all of us will agree with every idea, myself included," he said. "But it is critical we know where each candidate stands as we make perhaps the most important decision of our lives next November."
Obama was equally cordial, joking about treating Bloomberg to breakfast a few months ago during his last visit to the big apple.
"The reason I bought breakfast is because I expect payback for something more expensive. I'm no dummy," Obama joked. "The mayor was a cheap date that morning. There are some good steakhouses here in New York."
All jokes aside, Obama immediately got into the meat of what was billed as a major economic address. It touched on a myriad of subjects, from the sub-prime mortgage crisis, to the government's regulatory practices, to his opinion of how special interests have affected the economy.
"We've let the special interests put their thumbs on the economic scales. The result has been a distorted market that creates bubbles instead of steady sustainable growth. A market that favors Wall Street over Main Street, but ends up hurting both," he said.
Obama also shot a not-so-subtle reference at the federal government's bail-out of failed investment banking firm Bear Stearns.
"If we can extend a hand to banks on Wall Street when they get into trouble, we can extend a hand to Americans who are struggling often to no fault of their own," he said.
Obama did not mention Sen. Hillary Clinton nor did he discuss either of the separate controversies both are trying to move away from – racist comments made by his pastor, and Clinton's made-up story of her trip to Bosnia years ago.
He seemed focused, with the theme of Wall Street versus Main Street as a point that certainly resonates with the many New Yorkers hit hard by the Bear Stearns debacle.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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