May 29, 2009 6:19 am US/Eastern
Bloomberg To Reporter: 'You're A Disgrace'
Mayor Takes Offense To Question On Term Limits In Face Of Improving Economy, Lays Into N.Y. Observer Scribe
Second Time In 2 Months Hizzoner Hammers Media Member
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Mayor Michael Bloomberg's temper was on display again on Thursday. Six weeks after blasting a disabled reporter during a press conference he called a New York Observer reporter a disgrace.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
Mayor Michael Bloomberg is at it again. On Thursday he called a reporter a disgrace.
All you can say about this is that is was another Bloomberg moment.
Furious about getting a question he didn't like the mayor went on the offensive. He told reporter from the New York Observer he is a "disgrace."
There is a growing list of questions Mayor Bloomberg simply doesn't want to be asked. Here's the latest from the Observer's Azi Paybarah.
"If the economy is turning around, as you said, does that mean the rationale for changing term limits …" but before he could finish, Bloomberg jumped in:
"If … don't know why … if we have a serious question," hizzoner said.
The reporter tried to finish his question but he was cut off.
"If you have a serious question about the economy I will be happy to answer it," Bloomberg said.
The mayor ended his press conference and then went over to the reporter and said: "You are a disgrace."
Many would say the reporter's question was relevant, especially since the city's failing economy is one of the reasons Bloomberg sought an exemption from term limits.
Back on Oct. 2, 2008, Bloomberg said: "To put it in very practical terms, handling the financial crisis while strengthening essential services such as education and public safety is a challenge I want to take on for the people of New York."
The mayor's short temper at press conferences has been on display recently. Last month he attacked disabled reporter Michael Harris when his tape recorder accidently went off.
"This is too important to be disrupted. Maybe we just take everything outside," Bloomberg said on April 16.
Mayor Bloomberg has already spent close to $20 million to make the public forget about the term limit debate and these slips of the tongue.
A spokesperson for the mayor contacted Paybarah on Thursday night to apologize.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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