Greenfield Lashes Out at Weiner , Lhota and de Blasio; Lhota Responds

Councilman David Greenfield piled on Anthony Weiner tonight, on his weekly Thursday night radio show, suggesting he's only doing the Republicans a favor by joining the Democratic primary and splitting the vote. Public advocate Bill de Blasio also got his share of the blame for not firing his staffer who tweeted racial and anti-semitic comments, letting him to resign out of his own will.

Ceceilia Berkowitz Announces Big Apple Run

Weiner's Jewish Brothers Embrace Ambitions, Divided On Timing

While pundits are divided among themselves whether Weiner's bombshell announcement that he's seeking to jump into the mayoral race hurts frontrunner Christine Quinn or Bill de Blasio, there's definitely one group that is not yet locked on any of the candidates. Weiner entry could shake up allegiances among New York City’s Jews, Josh Nathan-Kazis writes in The Forward.

Salgado In Pitch To Orthodox Jewish Voters: Religious Values Under Sustained Attack By NYC Gov't

Long shot Conservative Democratic mayoral candidate, Erick Salgado, addressed Tuesday night the Rabbinical Alliance of America, a national rabbinic organization based in New York, in an effort to reach out to Orthodox Jewish voters from a standpoint of religion, faith and common values.

"We are living in a time when the values of people of faith are under sustained attack," Mr. Salgado started off. "whenever there is a person who believes, who wants to preserve his culture, his customs and his values, that person seems to be strange. And many of the elected officials don't respect the different communities.. that's the reality " he said.

Growing Anxiety Of Post-Bloomberg Mayor Immune To Powerful Interests

The latest corruption scandals, has exacerbated those fears of many from a post-Bloomberg mayor immune to bribery or intimidation by powerful special interests. After 12 years of  a billionaire mayor, who had no outside interests to abide with, a less assertive manager would bring down New York to the level of a messy backroom deal-making government, Chris Bragg and Andrew Hawkins write in The Insider Blog.

First Anti-Quinn Ad Fills The Democratic Field With Smoke and Gun Shots

It has officially begun, when Christine Quinn is being painted as a moderate who's out of touch with progressive Democratic voters. A new outside campaign, by a coalition of left-leaning labor unions and Democratic activists who say they are not backing anyone in particular, has been launched Sunday night with the release of a 30 second TV ad scheduled to air on cable television stations like MSNBC and Bravo for three weeks, David Chen reports in the NY Times. 

Newcomer and Long Shot Mayoral Candidate Cries Foul Over 'Discriminatory' Disregard

As reported last week, Rev. Erick Salgado, a church pastor and self-described "conservative Democrat," has entered the crowded field seeking the Democratic party's nomination for mayor. In an interview with the Staten Island Advance, Mr. Slagado touted his Latino culture and coalition he believes he has assembled as a unique choice in this mayoral race. 

"We need to concentrate and make sure that all the different communities get the representation they deserve in City Hall," Rev. Salgado told the Advance Friday. "We cannot define New York City as a melting pot anymore -- we have to understand it is a collection of different communities with different cultures."

In 1999 Profile, Joe Lhota Is Described as 'Calm, Easy Going and Quirky' In City Hall

While Mayor Giuliani was known for his temper, Joe Lhota, who served as his deputy mayor and is now a Republican candidate for mayor of NYC, was described in a NY Times profile in 1999 "as the most easygoing member of the Mayor's tightly knit, tightly wound inner circle. While he can bluster as expertly as any other Giuliani aide, Mr. Lhota is better known for what sets him apart: his willingness to talk openly and his insouciant humor, which make him one of the quirkiest personalities in City Hall."

Unlike his Democratic counterpart, City Council speaker Christine Quinn, who was described in an extensive NY times piece by Mike Grynbaum and David Chen this week as "controlling, temperamental and surprisingly volatile," Joe Lhota's work at City Hall was described as totally the opposite: A calm voice for a combative mayor.

Short of Money, Mayoral Hopeful McDonald Drops Oppo Memo Against Lhota

While Catsimatidis is touting on his Democratic background as an electability argument against Joe Lhota in the Republican primary, Goerge McDonald, who is running low in campaign funds, is doing the opposite. In an internal six-page memo leaked to the WSJ (intentionally?), the McDonald campaign has decided the path to victory is by going on offense to explain Republican voters why Joe Lhota is "simply unelectable." 

"The paradoxical challenge of Lhota's campaign strategy is that to win the primary he must closely identify with Mayor Giuliani but in doing so he creates a political environment that is simply insurmountable in the general election," according to the March 25 memo sent to the McDonald campaign's finance-committee members.

McDonald Vows Standing Strong Despite Weak Position

"Oh Right, that's because we are in court and the judge hasn't ruled yet," mayoral candidate George McDonald's response was as I approached him in the spin room over his poor showing in the latest financial disclosure. According to the Daily News, McDonald, who's been accepting over-limit donations while fighting the giving laws, raised a mere $21,204 between Jan. 12 and March 13th.

Mayoral Panel Discussed Who Should, Would, Could Be The Next Mayor Of NYC

At a panel discussing the mayoral race, the uncertainty in the volatile race seemed to be the only issue that had a broad understanding between the panelists at the table. The insightful discussion called “Who Should Be the Next Mayor of New York” was moderated by Fred Siegel, St. Francis College’s Scholar in Residence, at St. Francis College in Brooklyn. Panelists included Harry Siegel (The Daily Beast), as well as John Avlon (CNN), Michael Powell (New York Times), Maggie Haberman (Politico), and Michael Meyers (New York Civil Rights Coalition).

Running for Mayor? Tweet or Die!

You gotta sympathize with Joe Lhota, if you're a fellow tweep. Prior to launching his mayoral bid in January   former MTA chairman Joe Lhota was an extremely prolific Twitter user. Since hitting the campaign trail, Mr. Lhota has made far fewer posts on the social media site and stopped tweeting the witticisms he was previously known for. 

When Hunter Walker from Politicker saw Mr. Lhota at lunch yesterday, he asked him why he reduced his Twitter presence. Mr. Lhota attributed his lower Twitter profile to instructions from his campaign press team, specifically, his spokeswoman Susan Del Percio. “I eventually will get back. You know I get handled by my press people,” said Mr. Lhota. “Susan, she threatened me, so I have to be careful.” 

John Liu Opens Up: I've Been Running For Mayor Since 2009

Mayoral candidate John Liu, who has dominated the race since he has officially kicked off his campaign in a 14 hour tour on Sunday, opened up to the press. Asked, by Colin Campbell  when he decided to pursue the job of mayor, he said, "Probably from the moment I got elected comptroller."

Hamodia Highlight Charles Barron's Endorsement of John Liu

Rock Star, Defiant Representitve or a Cult Leader? Liu Shakes Up Mayoral Campaign

John Liu officially entered the crowded field of mayoral candidates with a 15 hour kick off tour Sunday, tailed by family members, supporters and tired NYC reporters.

Some viewed the chaotic scene and over flowed crowd of supports at the steps of City Hall as a treatment of a rock star:

Bill Thompson Assures Wary Jewish Community He can Win And Deliver

In the event of so many campaign announcements and Borough tours, Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson met Sunday evening with a dozen of Jewish community leaders and politicos at the Avenue Plaza Hotel in Borough Park. "You are looking at the next mayor of New York, without any doubt," said Rabbi Freilich.

Mr. Thompson, who remembers that Borough Park handed over victory to Mayor Bloomberg in 2009, faced a tougher crowd than expected, with questions about vouchers, transportation, public safety, taxes and  unions covering the entire Q&A. While Thompson seemed to be on the defensive (after all this is a district that has voted for Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani in the highest numbers) he also deferred concerns of a future Democratic administration after 20 years of Republican/Independent control of City Hall.

PHOTOS: Mayoral Candidates Attend COJO of Flatbush Breakfast

Bill de Blasio Presents "Women for de Blasio" On Quinn's Day

As the first-to-be-female-mayor of NYC kicked off her first day of campaigning, mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio didn't waste time, even as the traditional note would leave Christine Quinn in the spotlight for her first day as a candidate. Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, had his own launch event for “Women for de Blasio.” 

Pataki Rightman Fundraising for Lhota Ahead of March Report Deadline

Republican mayoral hopeful Joe Lhota is getting a fundraising assist from ex-Gov. George Pataki just hours before the CFB deadline - March 13th, Celeste Katz reports.

"Joe is a dedicated public servant and a successful private sector executive. He served as Mayor Rudy Giuliani's Deputy Mayor and has worked tirelessly for all New Yorkers," John Cahill, who served as Pataki's senior advisor and COS, wrote in an email invite for the Manhattan fundraiser benefiting Lhota. "I know we can elect Joe as our next Mayor and win this race.But more importantly, we must win this race so New York continues to flourish," Cahill continued.

Orthodox Paper Conceals Hikind, Highlights McDonald, Adams Controversies

UPDATED: The Brooklyn Orthodox paper Hamodia, that covered up for Assemblyman Dov Hikind by not reporting a word about the Purim 'Blackface' controversy, highlighted in Thursday's newspaper Mayoral candidate' George McDonald's comments about Jailing more blacks. The news review of the NYC 2013 race also included Beep candidate Eric Adams' past controversial comments about Jews, as revealed by Gatemouth, despite the fact that Adams was never asked to adress the issue in public, and has ever since earned praise and welcomed by events of all local Jewish organizations. Not to mention a number of leaders that participated at his kick off campaign rally.