This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/04/06/nyregion/mayor-de-blasio-a-punching-bag-for-gop-candidates-fights-back.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Bill de Blasio, a Punching Bag for G.O.P. Candidates, Fights Back | Bill de Blasio, a Punching Bag for G.O.P. Candidates, Fights Back |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| For a fair part of his first term as New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio struggled to elbow his way into national Democratic politics, rankling party leaders with his efforts to push Hillary Clinton to the left, and ultimately giving her his endorsement with little fanfare. | For a fair part of his first term as New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio struggled to elbow his way into national Democratic politics, rankling party leaders with his efforts to push Hillary Clinton to the left, and ultimately giving her his endorsement with little fanfare. |
| As the state’s primary approaches on April 19, Mr. de Blasio has finally become a figure of prominence in presidential politics, but in an unintended manner — as a target for Republicans. | As the state’s primary approaches on April 19, Mr. de Blasio has finally become a figure of prominence in presidential politics, but in an unintended manner — as a target for Republicans. |
| Mr. de Blasio has become a reliable punching bag for national Republicans, led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has scolded the mayor for his opposition to charter schools, his liberal ideas about law enforcement and his clashes with police leaders. | Mr. de Blasio has become a reliable punching bag for national Republicans, led by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas, who has scolded the mayor for his opposition to charter schools, his liberal ideas about law enforcement and his clashes with police leaders. |
| He branded Mr. de Blasio a “left-wing radical” in a candidate forum on CNN, and during a visit to the city accused him of being “bought and paid for” by union bosses. | He branded Mr. de Blasio a “left-wing radical” in a candidate forum on CNN, and during a visit to the city accused him of being “bought and paid for” by union bosses. |
| Mr. de Blasio has responded vigorously, at times crossing lines the Democratic presidential candidates would not: In mid-March he bluntly called Donald J. Trump a racist, after Mrs. Clinton and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont declined to do so in a debate. | |
| For Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, Mr. de Blasio may be but one in a pack of willing New York surrogates. He defended her from attacks by the Sanders campaign in a conference call on Friday, but it was Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo who appeared beside Mrs. Clinton at a rally on Monday in Manhattan. | For Mrs. Clinton’s campaign, Mr. de Blasio may be but one in a pack of willing New York surrogates. He defended her from attacks by the Sanders campaign in a conference call on Friday, but it was Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo who appeared beside Mrs. Clinton at a rally on Monday in Manhattan. |
| Yet Mr. de Blasio has pursued his role with obvious enthusiasm. He was set to hold a pro-Clinton rally on Wednesday in Manhattan, alongside Mrs. Clinton’s campaign manager, and Dan Levitan, a spokesman for the mayor, said he met privately with her after a campaign event in Brooklyn on Tuesday. | |
| Mr. de Blasio has seized opportunities to appear on national television to rebut criticism of his policies, casting attacks on his agenda as aggression not merely against his administration, but toward New York City and its tolerant social values. | |
| Within Mr. de Blasio’s political base in the heavily Democratic city, doing battle with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz, who are seeking the Republican presidential nomination, can only bolster his standing among liberal voters, who will help decide next year whether to nominate him for a second term. | Within Mr. de Blasio’s political base in the heavily Democratic city, doing battle with Mr. Trump and Mr. Cruz, who are seeking the Republican presidential nomination, can only bolster his standing among liberal voters, who will help decide next year whether to nominate him for a second term. |
| The mayor has clashed intensely with Mr. Cruz in recent weeks, since the senator accused Mr. de Blasio of scaling back antiterrorism policing because of political correctness. | The mayor has clashed intensely with Mr. Cruz in recent weeks, since the senator accused Mr. de Blasio of scaling back antiterrorism policing because of political correctness. |
| Mr. de Blasio said in public remarks that Mr. Cruz understood neither law enforcement policy nor the city itself. In an interview, the mayor said he viewed his emerging role in the race as defending New York and holding up the city as a beacon of values that the Republican field has affronted. | Mr. de Blasio said in public remarks that Mr. Cruz understood neither law enforcement policy nor the city itself. In an interview, the mayor said he viewed his emerging role in the race as defending New York and holding up the city as a beacon of values that the Republican field has affronted. |
| “New York represents something that the nation needs more of,” the mayor said, “and so I think a very natural role for me to play is to remind people of what we have to offer as a model.” | “New York represents something that the nation needs more of,” the mayor said, “and so I think a very natural role for me to play is to remind people of what we have to offer as a model.” |
| Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump had offended New Yorkers in different ways, Mr. de Blasio said: Mr. Trump by “whipping up nationalistic fervor” with heavy racial overtones, and Mr. Cruz with his own hawkish rhetoric about immigration, and attacks on what he has called “New York values.” | Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump had offended New Yorkers in different ways, Mr. de Blasio said: Mr. Trump by “whipping up nationalistic fervor” with heavy racial overtones, and Mr. Cruz with his own hawkish rhetoric about immigration, and attacks on what he has called “New York values.” |
| Mr. Cruz, he said, had been “fundamentally disrespectful of New York, but really disrespectful of the role the city has played in the country, particularly since 9/11.” | Mr. Cruz, he said, had been “fundamentally disrespectful of New York, but really disrespectful of the role the city has played in the country, particularly since 9/11.” |
| Political circumstances have placed Mr. de Blasio in an unusual position: The city has not hosted a competitive Republican presidential primary with a Democratic mayor in office since the first term of Edward I. Koch, an unconventional Democrat who enjoyed warm relationships with national Republicans, including President Ronald Reagan. | Political circumstances have placed Mr. de Blasio in an unusual position: The city has not hosted a competitive Republican presidential primary with a Democratic mayor in office since the first term of Edward I. Koch, an unconventional Democrat who enjoyed warm relationships with national Republicans, including President Ronald Reagan. |
| For Mr. de Blasio, standing up for New York City against ideological aliens from the national Republican Party is an easier and more straightforward role than the one he originally envisioned for himself in the presidential race: pressuring his party to embrace a more populist economic policy. | For Mr. de Blasio, standing up for New York City against ideological aliens from the national Republican Party is an easier and more straightforward role than the one he originally envisioned for himself in the presidential race: pressuring his party to embrace a more populist economic policy. |
| When Mrs. Clinton announced her campaign for president last year, Mr. de Blasio withheld his endorsement for months, saying he needed to hear more policy specifics from her, though he had been a senior aide in Mrs. Clinton’s 2000 campaign for the Senate. Late last fall, he abandoned plans for a forum in Iowa about issues of economic inequality when no candidates agreed to participate. | When Mrs. Clinton announced her campaign for president last year, Mr. de Blasio withheld his endorsement for months, saying he needed to hear more policy specifics from her, though he had been a senior aide in Mrs. Clinton’s 2000 campaign for the Senate. Late last fall, he abandoned plans for a forum in Iowa about issues of economic inequality when no candidates agreed to participate. |
| Mr. de Blasio acknowledged his original approach to the race had been more contentious — a matter of necessity, he said, when the goal was challenging a political party to change its direction. “When you’re pushing the spectrum,” he said, “of course some people like it and some people don’t like it.” | Mr. de Blasio acknowledged his original approach to the race had been more contentious — a matter of necessity, he said, when the goal was challenging a political party to change its direction. “When you’re pushing the spectrum,” he said, “of course some people like it and some people don’t like it.” |
| Mr. de Blasio has taken lashings from the Republicans before. Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida denounced the mayor last year for his resistance to expanding charter schools. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey warned during his presidential bid that Mr. de Blasio was presiding over a crime wave, though statistics do not show that to be the case. | Mr. de Blasio has taken lashings from the Republicans before. Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida denounced the mayor last year for his resistance to expanding charter schools. Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey warned during his presidential bid that Mr. de Blasio was presiding over a crime wave, though statistics do not show that to be the case. |
| If attacks on the liberal, big-city mayor play well among Republican primary voters in upstate New York and in the suburbs, Mr. de Blasio’s actual constituents are unlikely to turn on him as a result of the candidates’ scorn. | If attacks on the liberal, big-city mayor play well among Republican primary voters in upstate New York and in the suburbs, Mr. de Blasio’s actual constituents are unlikely to turn on him as a result of the candidates’ scorn. |
| On the contrary, sparring with unpopular figures like Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump may generate sympathy at home for Mr. de Blasio, who has made unsteady progress at achieving broad popularity since his insurgent 2013 campaign. | On the contrary, sparring with unpopular figures like Mr. Cruz and Mr. Trump may generate sympathy at home for Mr. de Blasio, who has made unsteady progress at achieving broad popularity since his insurgent 2013 campaign. |
| A Quinnipiac University poll published on Thursday found that three-quarters of New York City voters had an unfavorable view of Mr. Trump, and about 60 percent also shared a negative opinion of Mr. Cruz. | A Quinnipiac University poll published on Thursday found that three-quarters of New York City voters had an unfavorable view of Mr. Trump, and about 60 percent also shared a negative opinion of Mr. Cruz. |
| James S. Oddo, the Staten Island borough president, likened the spats to a staged and mutually beneficial wrestling match, in which Mr. de Blasio and his Republican critics all garner applause from their own camps and risk little in the process. | James S. Oddo, the Staten Island borough president, likened the spats to a staged and mutually beneficial wrestling match, in which Mr. de Blasio and his Republican critics all garner applause from their own camps and risk little in the process. |
| “It’s all W.W.E., isn’t it?” said Mr. Oddo, a Republican who has a friendly relationship with the mayor. “Each plays the other’s foil, and they all do well with the base.” | “It’s all W.W.E., isn’t it?” said Mr. Oddo, a Republican who has a friendly relationship with the mayor. “Each plays the other’s foil, and they all do well with the base.” |
| Still, the Republican critiques of Mr. de Blasio are more than political theater. The mayor and his allies in the city have governed with an eye toward making New York a model of liberal governance, and they have enacted policies intended to support undocumented immigrants and overhaul the criminal justice system that are anathema to many leading Republicans. | Still, the Republican critiques of Mr. de Blasio are more than political theater. The mayor and his allies in the city have governed with an eye toward making New York a model of liberal governance, and they have enacted policies intended to support undocumented immigrants and overhaul the criminal justice system that are anathema to many leading Republicans. |
| Carl P. Paladino, a Buffalo real estate developer who ran as the Republican candidate for governor in 2010, and who is now backing Mr. Trump, said Mr. de Blasio had become a symbol of “dumb liberal elitist leadership.” | Carl P. Paladino, a Buffalo real estate developer who ran as the Republican candidate for governor in 2010, and who is now backing Mr. Trump, said Mr. de Blasio had become a symbol of “dumb liberal elitist leadership.” |
| “Like the Obama ordeal, the de Blasio ordeal is a poster child for all of the ills that the progressive movement has given the American people,” Mr. Paladino, who may run for governor again in 2018, said in an email. | “Like the Obama ordeal, the de Blasio ordeal is a poster child for all of the ills that the progressive movement has given the American people,” Mr. Paladino, who may run for governor again in 2018, said in an email. |
| The City Council speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Democrat and a de Blasio ally who has campaigned for Mrs. Clinton across the country, said her constituents “totally reject what Trump and the others represent.” She described Mr. de Blasio and downstate Democrats as confronting a campaign of divisive “cheap shots.” | The City Council speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, a Democrat and a de Blasio ally who has campaigned for Mrs. Clinton across the country, said her constituents “totally reject what Trump and the others represent.” She described Mr. de Blasio and downstate Democrats as confronting a campaign of divisive “cheap shots.” |
| “Attacking the mayor is an attack on the city of New York,” Ms. Mark-Viverito said, arguing that the policies Mr. de Blasio and the Council had pioneered were intended to make New York a more inclusive city. | “Attacking the mayor is an attack on the city of New York,” Ms. Mark-Viverito said, arguing that the policies Mr. de Blasio and the Council had pioneered were intended to make New York a more inclusive city. |
| “If that’s being criticized,” she said, “then, you know, bring it on.” | “If that’s being criticized,” she said, “then, you know, bring it on.” |