Oct 14, 2009 7:09 pm US/Eastern
Was Thompson Brave Or Foolish Defending Espada?
Pundits Tell CBS 2 HD Mayoral Challenger Took A Big Risk Backing Embattled State Senator; Judgment In Question
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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2009 Mayoral Election Candidates - Michael Bloomberg (l), left, and William Thompson (D).
CBS
The New York City mayoral race took a surprising turn Wednesday after a single question during Tuesday night's high decibel debate came back to haunt challenger Bill Thompson.
The brawl for City Hall may be on, but it features a Democrat on the defensive.
Mike Bloomberg and Thompson were out bright and early campaigning Wednesday after a debate where Pedro Espada cast a long shadow. The poster boy for all the bad things that happened in Albany over the summer was unwittingly the man who tripped up his fellow Democrat at Tuesday night's debate.
The moderator asked: "Is Pedro Espada a better majority leader than Joe Bruno?"
Thompson said yes, and Mayor Bloomberg said no, to applause.
And so it was that a debate where Thompson was feisty in attacking Bloomberg on term limits and Bloomberg slammed Thompson for his performance as president of the Board of Education had people suddenly talking about a different aspect of their differences.
Because of Espada it became the progressive vs. the clubhouse.
"I think that was a moment where Bill Thompson showed his more pandering self," Hofstra University pundit Larry Levy told CBS 2 HD. "He's pretty desperate right now. The polls have him behind. He's being outspent 16 to 1 and he doesn't want to alienate anybody within the Democratic camp -- whether it's Pedro Espada or anybody else."
Pundits said the Espada question shows very different images of the two men who want to rule the city. They said Bloomberg's answer on Espada, the man who caused a circus in Albany for his own political gain, took courage.
"We saw it last night. He just alienated a leader of the Senate Democrats. I don't think a smart politician concerned about a lot of things would do that, but Bloomberg didn't care. He just called the question as he saw it," said Dick Dadey of the Citizens Union.
"I think it was disheartening to see Thompson throw his lot in someone who created dysfunction in the state for 30 days and to align himself with someone who should not be a leader in this state. And so it does raise doubt about his judgment," Dadey said.
The problem for Thompson with Espada is that if he does get elected mayor he'll probably find Espada with his hand out every time he needs something from Albany.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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