Mutual appreciation - but no endorsement - as Bloomy hosts Obama
By DAVID SALTONSTALL
DAILY NEWS SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
Thursday, March 27th 2008, 10:26 AM
Drew/AP
Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama shakes hands after receiving a cordial introduction from Mayor Bloomberg. The two men were chummy as usual as Obama unveiled a national economic blueprint.
Standing on a stage where another Illinois senator stood some 150 years ago, Barack Obama laid out his economic blueprint for the nation Thursday morning - but not before engaging in a friendly game of political footsie with Mayor Bloomberg.
Bloomberg, who has yet to endorse a candidate for president, introduced Obama at Cooper Union's Great Hall, where Abraham Lincoln once laid out his vision for the country while running for president as a little known senator from Illinois.
After a few pleasantries, Bloomberg a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned independent - made it clear that he isn't ready to back any candidate. But at the same time he seemed to give Obama credit for tackling what many voters see as the nation's No. 1 problem the economy.
"As you know, I have not endorsed a candidate for president," Bloomberg said. "But I have been very clear in my hope that all the candidates will explain in detail how they will address the great challenges facing our country."
After calling Washington "a poster child of fiscal irresponsibility," the mayor added, "There will be no quick fixes to any of the problems, no easy answers. But that doesn't mean that solutions don't exist."
With that, Bloomberg introduced the other man from "the land of Lincoln
and not just because he picked up the check when we had breakfast together," he joked, referring to an earlier sit-down between the two men at an Upper East Side diner.
Obama, clearly reveling in the moment, thanked Bloomberg for his "extraordinary leadership" and declared himself an ally in Bloomberg's broader effort to find non-partisan solutions to tough problems.
"At a time when Washington is divided in old ideological battles, he shows us what can be achieved when we bring people together to seek pragmatic solutions," Obama said of the mayor, seated in the front row with a bevy of top aides from City Hall, among them Deputy Mayors Patti Harris and Dennis Walcott.
"Mr. Mayor, I share your determination to bring this country together," Obama said, joking that "the reason I bought breakfast is because I expect payback" an apparent reference to Bloomberg's much sought after endorsement.
But then Obama added, "I am no dummy - the mayor was a cheap date that morning. There are some good steak houses in this city."
In his speech, Obama said the country needs to update its regulatory framework, while also taking some potshots at Republicans.
He described Bush's prescriptions for the economy "as completely divorced from reality," while suggesting that GOP hopeful's John McCain's plan "amounts to little more than watching this crisis unfold."