Political cloud in Bloomberg's holiday sky

Only on a rare St. Patrick's Day do you see a New York City mayor march uptown while sliding downhill.

Michael Bloomberg marked the holiday much as he had his previous nine in office. He hosted the reception at Gracie Mansion. He attended the Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral. He addressed an annual breakfast with the elected officials who shun the parade for its exclusion of gay organizations from the program.

But despite a tried-and-true schedule and clear skies, political clouds hung over the billionaire third-termer. A day earlier, a Quinnipiac University poll showed only 39 percent of city voters approve of the job he's doing -- his worst numbers since the 37 percent in the first half of his first term, after he hiked taxes in 2003.

The poll follows a winter that included a big procurement scandal, a fumbled blizzard response, and his appointment as school chancellor a corporate self-help guru.

When a politician sputters, even jokes start to backfire.

Last month Bloomberg quipped at the American Irish Historical Society about the Manhattan building that on St. Patrick's Day features "a bunch of people totally inebriated hanging out the window, waving . . . we Jews from around the corner think this."

So, predictably, at his pre-parade news conference Thursday, Bloomberg was asked about that lead balloon just one more time. "I told a joke that some people didn't find funny," he said.

"The bottom line is the reception I've gotten in St. Patrick's Day parades so far and this morning puts a smile on my face. You know, this is a day to celebrate."

Later, as the mayor passed 51st Street in the procession, one celebrant in a green wig held aloft a sign: "Bloomberg -- You're a drunk!"

There was also the Buffalo blowup. Bloomberg, at a conference with developers this week, was quoted as saying, "There's an awful lot of free space up in Buffalo, N.Y., if you want to go there. . . . I don't think you do." He's since called Mayor Byron Brown to explain. His point, Bloomberg said Thursday, was that "we do have a lot of problems other cities don't have -- and they have problems that we don't have."

One big asset for Bloomberg Thursday was Police Commissioner Ray Kelly -- who won an impressive 67 percent approval rating in the Quinnipiac survey. As usual, Kelly marched alongside Bloomberg at the head of the NYPD contingent before the mayor dropped back to join other civil servants.

At the parade's starting point, moments after having his photo taken with Kelly, Peter Vallone Sr., the former City Council speaker, was asked about Bloomberg's blues.

"You know what happens in a third term," said Vallone, suggesting that the public can get too familiar with the elected official for his own good. Vallone still believes Bloomberg's re-election was a good thing.

Ex-Mayor Ed Koch, ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo, and ex-Sen. Alfonse D'Amato all lost races for fourth terms. Gov. George Pataki saw fit to quit after three.

Forget the Ides of March, which have come and gone.

Beware the third term -- and the quips that fail therein.