City Hall Source Criticizes Walcott Choice In NY Post

That didn't take long:

As even school custodians knew, it was time for Bloomberg to cut his losses. Now Cathie Black has devolved into a punch line. A cautionary tale that -- astonishingly -- Bloomberg seems to be repeating.

Bloomberg brought in Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott to clean the mess. Compared to Black's rich-gal cred and prickly personality, Walcott is a likeable public-school grad who worked briefly as a teacher and still beds down in Queens. But . . .

"He knows the system. He knows where the men's room is. But he's not a manager," groused one City Hall source. "So the system will continue to be mismanaged."

Others are amazed the mayor didn't conduct a national search, used to find school chiefs in tiny hamlets in lesser states, like New Jersey.

"He looked over his shoulder and saw Walcott," said a second City Hall veteran. "At least he didn't look across the room at a cocktail party, as he did when he found Black."

At least, as Black put it, she'll return to her roots -- doing lunch at overpriced Michael's, wearing designer duds and escaping "the worst pictures!"

Our nightmare is over.

When the criticism of how Bloomberg chose Black and now Walcott comes from critics outside the administration, you don't blink at it - you expect it.

But when it comes from INSIDE the administration and makes it to the pages of the NY Post just five days after Black was fired and Walcott hired, you have to take notice.