Democratic mayoral nominee Bill de Blasio attended a private meeting with a number of leading New York City business figures yesterday.
Among them were Rupert Murdoch, the chairman of both News Corp. and its sister corporation, 21st Century Fox (who has taken a particular interest in trying to reshape public education); Robert Thomson, the chief executive of News Corp.; and Mortimer Zuckerman, the wealthy real-estate magnate who also owns the Daily News and U.S. News & World Report.
Several sources with knowledge of the meeting confirmed the attendance of de Blasio and all three top media figures but stressed that other businesspeople were also in attendance. The total headcount was around "a couple dozen," one source said.
The purpose of the meeting, as well as where it took place, is unclear. A spokesman for de Blasio's campaign declined to comment, as did spokespeople for Zuckerman and News Corp.
But it was held one day before de Blasio spoke to a larger collection of the city's leading business titans, at a breakfast this morning hosted by the Association for a Better New York. The city business-leadership group has been described by de Blasio as the "lion's den." De Blasio is advocating a tax hike for the wealthiest New Yorkers and the reduction of tax breaks for corporations.
As I wrote earlier today, de Blasio didn't get where he is by being some intransigent commie pinko Sandanista
He got there by being an expedient politician.
How much do you want to make a bet the sell-out for all those leftie promises he made during the primary campaign became official at the meeting with Zuckerman, Murdoch and the other business criminals today?
Sure doesn't sound good...
ReplyDeleteNope -doesn't sound good at all. Watch for whether the Post tone on de Blasio changes in the next few days. If it does, that will mean whatever he said to Murdoch assuaged the old bastard's fears.
DeleteSo the charter schools will not have to pay rent?
ReplyDeleteThat probably wasn't discussed in so many words, but I suspect they had a frank discussion of just what the phrase "campaign rhetoric" is and how little it will bear to the reality of policy.
DeleteAfter the Obama "bait and switch" election of 2008, I cannot, currently, see a politician fully stopping and attacking the power$ that be. (Even if Elizabeth Warren were to be elected President), BUT, politically, things have to be brought back to the left as far as they can currently go for more and more liberal policies to pass.
ReplyDeleteAs much as we all want de Blasio to be our democratic hero, as you've said in the past RBE, to expect political saviors is a fragile thing, indeed.
So, it's either a beginning of something or it's grab your torches and pitchforks, and the American people are not ready for that yet.
I never had de Blasio as my democratic hero. He has always been suspect to me, simply because in my experience he has always tried to thread the needle between progressive and corporate sell-out. Remember 2009 when Bloomberg invited de Blasio, the newly elected public advocate, and Liu, the newly elected comptroller to lunch. Liu told Bloomberg to go screw himself, de Blasio had a very open and accommodating meeting with Bloomberg in public. It wasn't long after that that Liu was destroyed by the campaign finance fraud allegations...
DeleteIt's not quite time for the Who's famous lyrics...."Meet the new boss, same as the old boss..."
ReplyDeleteI suspect the phrase should be "Meet the new boss, almost the same as the old boss..." But let's see how the Post coverage changes in the next few days. If they soften toward de Blasio, it will mean he gave Murdoch the assurances he wanted at that meeting.
Delete