Andrew's gone, but there's still Bill

Daily Point

Return of a punching bag

It is possible that no New York politician was more thrilled with the scuttlebutt about Mayor Bill de Blasio running for governor than gubernatorial hopeful Lee Zeldin.

"De Blasio for GOVERNOR?!" scoffed a Zeldin fundraising email on Thursday. "It looks like Bill de Blasio is trying to take his extreme, far-left, inept leadership statewide."

On Friday, the Shirley Republican doubled down with a statement about the mayor’s decision to overhaul the city’s gifted and talented education program.

"We should absolutely not be eliminating advanced academics in schools in the name of equity," the statement began.

Zeldin, months into his own run for governor, has spent much of that time railing against Andrew M. Cuomo. The former governor’s resignation took some of the sting out of Zeldin’s Cuomo bashing, but here comes de Blasio offering up a big target. For years, the mayor has occupied a special place in the political universe of Long Island Republicans like Zeldin, a sort of local "Squad"-like progressive boogeyman and avatar of government overreach.

This can result in caricature. In 2020, for example, Zeldin slammed de Blasio, who oversees a multibillion-dollar police budget and backed away from real cuts, for "leading New York down the path to completely defund the police." On Thursday, the Zeldin email claimed that the mayor "has overseen horrific crime spikes, back-breaking taxes, and even a vaccine mandate on the entire city." Some NYC municipal employees and indoor locations and their workers have vaccination or vaccine/test requirements, but it’s not exactly a blanket policy.

Maybe such subtleties don’t matter much to a GOP audience that already sees de Blasio’s leadership as "reckless," as Zeldin does.

Expect the punching to continue. Zeldin’s campaign says there are more de Blasio hits to come.

— Mark Chiusano @mjchiusano

Talking Point

Gov primary may tell a Bronx tale

Last week, the Democrats’ New York State and Nassau County chairman Jay Jacobs announced his support for Gov. Kathy Hochul in a possible primary next June, as did Suffolk chairman Rich Schaffer. Both Long Islanders knew they weren’t speaking for 100% of the county committees, or this wouldn’t be the Democratic Party.

As counties in the region go, the Bronx is showing promise as a party outpost for a Tish James challenge to Hochul should one occur. The first-term, 62-year-old state attorney general hasn’t announced for the top spot yet, but the potential infrastructure for her entry has become visible in the city’s northernmost borough.

For example there’s Jason Laidley, currently chief of staff for State Sen. Jamaal Bailey (D-Bronx), who is also the Democratic county chairman.

Laidley has potentially relevant, James-friendly credentials. An online biography cites his role as special assistant to James from her time in the elected citywide post of public advocate. He has also been field director in other citywide campaigns, and held positions in the city comptroller’s office.

James has worked in previous campaigns with the MirRam Group — cofounded by Luis Miranda who’s known these days as the father of showbiz celebrity Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more importantly in this context, by former Bronx assemblyman and local power broker Roberto Ramirez.

Put that in the same package as Bronx Sen. Alessandra Biaggi’s response to Jacobs’ announcement for Hochul: "NY deserves a Dem Party Chair who makes endorsements that mean something, instead of being empty & meaningless," Biaggi tweeted.

All this puts Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) in a sensitive position. He’s of course a key power in his potentially pro-James home party; Sen. Bailey started out as his intern. As the last of three "men in the room" in Albany, Heastie must negotiate and collaborate on budgets and legislation with the new governor in the months ahead.

Would Heastie step cautiously against the backdrop of a Hochul-James primary? Said one longtime veteran of city and state Democratic politics: "Oh, he has to." Others agreed.

— Dan Janison @Danjanison

Pencil Point

Pence's parting gift

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Puzzle Point

In the news

Welcome to this week’s news quiz, based on events that took place this week. As usual, provide the answer for each clue, one letter per blank. The first letter of each answer, taken in order, spells the name of a spacey celebrity who’s back in the news. Answers will appear in Tuesday’s edition of The Point.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Suffolk County site of a new charter school opposed by school district leaders but welcomed by some parents.

_ _ _ _ _ _ Country whose vaccination pass to enter indoor venues will now be given only to those with a booster shot or who recently recovered from COVID-19.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Big American city that instituted a vaccine mandate for anyone entering bars, restaurants and other indoor venues.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Abdulrazak Gurnah, a Tanzanian refugee and recently retired professor at the University of Kent in Britain, won the Nobel Prize in this field.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ The Tribune Tower in Chicago announced the first retail tenant in its redevelopment, a museum dedicated to this iconic frozen dessert.

_ _ _ _ _ Singer who teased a possible forthcoming album with a series of billboards worldwide that read simply, "30."

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ The World Health Organization announced the first vaccine against this parasitic disease.

_ _ _ _ _ Once-ubiquitous retailer that closed its final Long Island store in Massapequa.

_ _ _ _ Bills for this are expected to rise for natural gas customers this winter.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to take another look at this transportation proposal championed by her predecessor.

_ _ _ _ _ Major car company that announced it will move its headquarters from Palo Alto, California to Austin, Texas.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hospital system that fired 1,400 workers for refusing to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ NYPD union leader whose Port Washington home and Manhattan headquarters were raided by the FBI.

_ _ _ _ _ _ Country that accounted for the most state-sponsored hacking detected by Microsoft over the past year.

— Michael Dobie @mwdobie

Programming Point

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