Catsimatidis: "New York is Gonna Have Catsman!”

John Catsimatidis might be another self-made billionaire who wants to be mayor of New York City, but he’s one of the most exciting Republican mayoral candidates and less politician style than Mike Bloomberg 12 years ago. 

Catsimatidis explained to Lloyd Grove of the Daily Beast, his Twist Twitter Handle to his surname. “That’s why it’s John ‘Cats’ when I’m running for mayor,” he says. “You know Gotham had Batman? New York is gonna have Catsman!” 

Shots Fired! Mayoral Opponents React to Quinn's Middle Class SOTC Speech

Bill de Blasio (D)

“Strengthening and expanding the middle class requires more than lofty words and playing an assigned role in the annual kabuki theater that our city budget process has become,” Mr. de Blasio said, according to Politicker. “From paid sick leave to early childhood and after-school program expansion to small business advocacy, Speaker Quinn has partnered with Mayor Bloomberg in blocking programs that would make a real difference to the lives of working families. If the next four years at City Hall are simply a continuation of the last 12, we will have failed millions of forgotten New Yorkers who deserve a mayor who speaks for them.” 

Why do Bloomberg, Quinn & others think lower taxes 4 millionaires is more important than early ed 4 kids like Oscar? twitter.com/deBlasioNYC/st…

— Bill de Blasio (@deBlasioNYC) February 11, 2013

George McDonald (R)

Today Speaker Quinn failed to honor Mayor Koch's legacy of talking to NYers like adults.

— George McDonald (@McDonald4NYC) February 11, 2013

Her proposals are not to find ways to make New York more affordable by reducing costs, cutting taxes or creating efficiency.

— George McDonald (@McDonald4NYC) February 11, 2013

'Show Me The Money' Vs. 'Look Who's Talkin'.

Mayoral candidates Bill de Blasio and Bill Thompson had a mini quarrel over Thompson’s pledge to grow the NYPD by more than 2,000 cops if he is elected mayor. Mr. de Blasio suggested Thompson ain't seeking to back up his campaign rhetoric by deeds, since the city can’t afford to increase police manpower from 34,800 to 37,000. The extra cops would cost the city about $200 million a year, a increase of about 5 percent in the NYPD budget.

Mayoral Hopeful Joe Lhota 'Exceeded' Goals in Private Sector

Joe Lhota wants you to know: He's a good manager. Just ask his colleagues in the private sector, and you'll be overwhelmed. In an interview with Crains New York, Mr. Lhota told Andrew Hawkins he plans to put a spotlight on his work at Cablevision, the MTA, and his previous jobs, placing his experience as a crisis manager at the forefront of his campaign.

"If you talked to anyone that I worked for—clients when I was an investment banker, or senior execs at Cablevision and Madison Square Garden—ask them if I was able to achieve goals," he said. "They will say that I not only achieved them, but I exceeded them."

With Size 12 Shoes, John Catsimatidis Wants To be In The Loop

Republican mogul and the viral candidate of the 2013 mayoral race, John Catsimatidis has no fear of fitting in the shoes of any previous mayor, of course if elected. With a size 12 shoe, Catsimatidis believes he can get his way any way, anywhere.

"Listen, when a mayor has size 12 shoes, he could put his foot down," Catsimatidis told Azi Paybarah at a press conference in Queens last week, when asked what a mayor can do about a State agency, like the MTA.

Skeptic Republican Donors Float Super PAC Plan to Bolster Joe Lhota's Campaign

Republican donors are beginning to float the idea of forming a Outside Super PAC to allow Joe Lhota's mayoral campaign overcome the financial might and electability appeal of Jon Catisimatidis within the Republican party, the NY Times reports.

As a latecomer in the race, and a  likely participant in the city’s campaign finance program, which matches private donations with public funds, Lhota's disadvantages created doubts and skepticism even by his own supporters.  “Joe has an uphill battle,” said Mr. Kalikow, a former owner of The New York Post. “I did tell him that.”

Israeli Orthodox Magazine 'Bakhila' Profiles Bill Thompson with Header- "A Shabbos Goy"

Bakhila cover of Thompson profile

"I tell people, look at the current Mayor, that is a Jew, and look at the other hand at Bill - One is Jewish, and one is Black. But in reality, the Jew is not so Jewish, and the black guy is not so black," said one of the Jewish activists, who's supporting Bill Thompson's bid for Mayor of NYC, to the Israeli Orthodox magazine 'Bakhila' in Hebrew.

In an extensive profile of former city comptroller and mayoral candidate Bill Thompson, Bakhila magazine describes Thompson's ties to the Jewish community in Brooklyn and his support for Israel, with the header: 'A Shabbos Goy' (a non-Jew who performs certain types of work for a Jew on the Sabbath).

de Blasio Says He's a 'All People' Progressive Candidate

"You are the most leftist candidate... sorry .. most progressive candidate in this race," radio host, Michael Fragin, described Mayoral candidate Bill de blasio, in a debut 'Meet The Mayoral Candidates' interview on the Spin Class / Jewish Political radio station.

After 2 decades of Republican control, 24 years after the last Democratic mayoral candidate was elected as mayor, De Blasio expressed confidence that a Democrat will become mayor of NYC come January 2014. "2013 is going to be a Democratic year," he said twice.

Catsimatidis, New York's Nixon?

Azi Paybarah, from now on @azi, noticed this great shot of Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis striking a Richard Nixon pose, during a Press conference in Queens today.

Jon Catsimatidis - New York 2013 (photo credit: @deborahyun

Richard Nixon's trademark "victory" sign during successful presidential run - Philadelphia July, 1968 (photo credit: Wikipedia)

Non related: Catsimatidis' daughter, Andrea, is married to Chris Cox, Nixon's grandson.

If Only... Catsimatis Believes He would of Won Over Koch's Heart

Wednesday's New York Post, featured a full-page tribute to the late former Mayor Ed Koch signed by Republican mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis and his wife, Margo. 

“I paid for it personally,” Catisimatids told Politicker.

In a frank conversation with Hunter Walker of The Observer, Catsimatidis acknowledged that he never tried to persuade Mr. Koch to back him, despite of his proud affirmation that he was the closest guy in new York to President Clinton. However, had the mayor lived, Mr. Catsimatidis thinks he might have been able to win him over. “You never know, because me and him did the Congressman Turner campaign together,” said Mr. Catsimatidis noting Turner's across the line endorsement. “Do your homework on that one.”

Bill Thompson Blasts NYCHA's 'Wrongheaded Move" on Back of Low Income Families

Mayoral candidate Bill Thompson blasted the City's Housing agency's plan to lease out unused public space and playgrounds to private developers to build luxury apartments in the middle of Manhattan housing projects. Mr. Thompson called the plan a "wrongheaded move" against the purpose of the NYCHA.

de Blasio's Campaign Contributions "Stinks To High Heaven,” Says Campaign Finance Watchdog

Mayoral candidate Bill de Blasio, has been taking donations to pay off 2009 campaign debts from donors who have already exceeded the maximum permissible amount to his current campaign for mayor, the NY Times reports.

Catsimatidos, Lhota Say It's Not Carrion's Time, Not For Free!

A few months ago, it looked like the savior of the Republican party in NYC will be non other than a Obama Democrat. Carrion, who changed his party registration to unaffiliated, was seen as a gig for the Republicans to maintain NYC's control. Yet, in order to run on the Republican line he sought to seek the approval of 3 out of 5 County chairmen to grant him a Wilson-Pakula. 

Now that Joe Lhota and John Catsimatidis, who both have the name recognition to fit the frame, have jumped into the ring, they both claim there’s no need for the GOP to look outside the ranks. 

Meet Joe Lhota: He's Jewish; A Proteinist, And a Early Bird

New Yorkers just mourned the loss of the most prominent Jewish mayor. They are also departing, at the end of the year, from a 3 term Jewish mayor. Are New Yorkers ready for another Jewish Mayor?

No, he doesn't eat gefilte fish. But apparently Joe Lhota is Jewish (according to the Jewish law).

"My father’s side is from the Bohemian part, 120 km south of Prague. My mother’s father was Italian. Her mother, Jewish," Lhota told Cindy Adams in a special 'page six' profile for the NY Post. "Like New York, I’m a little of everything, which means alienating everybody else. My great-grandfather came over first," he added.

Ceceilia Rocks Mayoral Race with Late Night Tweetfeast

Read the Attached 'Storify' of the Late Night Tweetfast with Democratic Mayoral candidate Ceceilia Berkowitz:

Republican County Committee Chairmen Now Believe a Primary is Good for the Party

Looks like the five Boroughs Republican Chairmen have given up on the hope of coming together to support a single candidate, in favor of a Republican primary. "It is what it is. They are all qualified," said Brooklyn GOP Chairman Craig Eaton. "That's good for the Party," he added.

Celeste Katz published a raw video of the city's five Republican county committee chairmen speaking after Monday night's meeting with five of the candidates seeking the Republican nomination for mayor.

Albanese Wants to Redeem New York from Bloomberg Kingdom

Sal Albanese, running for mayor in the Democratic primary, blamed Mayor Bloomberg and his recent budget proposal for the city’s financial shape. “You can't manage a city like a kingdom or its workforce like serfs,” Albanese told Paula Katinas from the Brooklyn Daily Eagle. 

George McDonald Touts DOE Fund as Tool for Mayoral Campaign

Bill de Blasio Introduced at Belz Dinner as the "Next Mayor of NYC."

Following his 5 borough tour last week, and his visit to Borough park a day after announcing his candidacy for mayor of New York City, where he spoke about the holocaust and Iran's nuclear threat, Bill de Blasio continued making inroads among voters in the Jewish community of Brooklyn. In a brief appearance at the Yeshiva Machzikei Hadas Belz' annual dinner, the Public Advocate by the chairman of the event as "the next Mayor of NYC." The estimated crowd of 1500 participants enthusiastically applauded his presence. de Blasio was accompanied by his liaison to the Jewish Community, Pinny Ringel.

One of the Belzer community's activists, Mr. Eliezer Igel, echoed a teaching by a passage of the Torah, where Moses was reminded by his father-in-law as he entered a new role of leadership: 'don't forget your own children'. "Don't forget your own communities," the speaker turned to de Blasio,  "which are all standing behind you."

Bill Thompson, Only Mayoral Candidate to Rally Against Brooklyn College’s Anti-Israel Forum

Democratic mayoral candidate, Bill Thompson was the only mayoral candidate who protested alongside Brooklyn’s Jewish leaders Thursday, to stop the Brooklyn College Political Science Department from sponsoring an anti-Israel forum next Thursday. 

 “Those are our taxpayer dollars. We should not be using those dollars to express hate,” Thompson said alongside Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a political heavyweight in the Brooklyn Jewish community.