De Blasio Blasts Cuomo Over Reports Saying Governor's New Book Paints Unflattering Picture Of NYC Mayor
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The state's best-known frenemies are at it again. On Thursday, Mayor Bill de Blasio launched a savage attack on Gov. Andrew Cuomo following reports that an early draft of the governor's book included an unflattering assessment of hizzoner's abilities.
He started out by taking the high road.
"I'm not going to focus on petty insults," de Blasio told reporters, including CBS2's Marcia Kramer.
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But that lasted all of three seconds, proving that the de Blasio-Cuomo relationship has all the warmth of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall, and even Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
"The facts that have been laid out by the Times indicates very clearly a pattern of corruption, pure and simple. A clear, consistent pattern of corruption," de Blasio said.
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The mayor was referring to a story in the New York Times that says the governor was seeking a $4 million payday for his book at about the same time aides were covering up the nursing home death toll. There were also allegations that junior staffers were drafted to help with the manuscript.
But what may have sparked the mayor's anger were reports that a draft of the book included a three-page bombastic assessment of de Blasio's abilities.
Take your pick about what hizzoner thought most offensive:
De Blasio will be "viewed as one of the worst mayors in modern history."
He suffers from "obvious ego-driven narcissism."
"De Blasio's standing is somewhere between negative and irrelevant."
De Blasio has "very little interest or aptitude for government policy or government operations."
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"I think you see every day the level of focus I bring to all these issues we're facing," de Blasio said in response to the excerpts.
The mayor said the book deal should be added to the long list of things that prosecutors and investigators for the state Assembly are looking at.
"The governor wanted personally profit and politically profit from his book deal," de Blasio said.
Cuomo's self-assessment was a whole lot more positive. He said he was a good governor who accomplished more than any governor in modern history. But, of course, all that was before the scandals broke.
