The only question was where comedy ended and confession began.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s annual skit at the City Hall press revue reached its pinnacle in the wee hours Sunday when he was lofted “Mary Poppins” style above the stage, purportedly en route to campaigning for the presidency in New Hampshire and Iowa.
It was one of many light-hearted riffs on a die-hard idea -- that Bloomberg could enter the race next year and spend hundreds of his own millions on an independent candidacy.
While playing himself as a child, Bloomberg is asked if he wishes to be president. “Yes yes yes! Of course I do! Of course I do!,” he says. “Wait – let me clarify that… No.” Later Bloomberg proclaims: “Tickets for the 2009 White House correspondents’ dinner are now on sale.”
The black-tie Inner Circle crowd at the New York Hilton was peppered with supporters and spoofers of ex-mayor Rudolph Giuliani, regular Democrats backing U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, and consultants to U.S. Sen. Barack Obama and John Edwards amid the usual gaggle of elected officials, party leaders, lobbyists and appointees.
Dan Janison
The reporters’ two-act effort, titled “Fat Chance,” portrayed a power-eager Clinton singing to Obama: “It’s nice work if I can get it, but I can’t get it if you’re here.” There was a weird ventriloquism bit featuring a big doll as thrice-married Judith Giuliani and a “Hot Fun in the Summertime” number with Al Gore and very large penguins.
Long Islanders were in the house too. Guests included rookie state Sen. Craig Johnson and wife Liz, lawyers Jill Mindlin and Jonathan Konoff, former U.S. Sen. Al D’Amato, and publicist Gary Lewi of the Howard Rubenstein firm. And Bloomberg’s act spoofed state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli as unable to tell a one-dollar bill from a ten-spot.