Spin Cycle

UPDATE: Turns out the spokesman from Arnold Schwartzenegger's office who stopped by Room 9 with Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey and Communications Director Stu Loeser isn't going to be the Governator's mouthpiece for long. Adam Mendelsohn is leaving as Ah-nold's communications director after this week, which he's spending on vacation in The Big Apple visiting friends, among them - that's right, you guessed it - Sheekey.

Mendelsohn's impending departure has been well-publicized on the West Coast, but not so much when he was introduced to the press in Room 9 earlier today.Still, Mendelsohn said there's nothing to read into the omission, or even into his visit. He and Sheekey got to know each other well because Mayor Bloomberg and Arnold have worked together a lot over the past year, Mendelsohn said, adding that he had never seen City Hall or the mayor's famous "bullpen" for his key staff.

"It was just a sight-seeing tour," he said.

PRIOR TO THE UPDATE: Just a few minutes ago, Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey and Communications Director Stu Loeser made a big show of stopping into Room 9 -- the New York City Hall press room -- with Adam Mendelsohn, a spokesman for California Gov. Arnold Schwarnegger, and introducing him around to the assembled media.

Sheekey pointed out reporters by name, except for the ones he doesn't know or doesn't care about, but had little else to offer by way of information. Mendelsohn was friendly enough, but didn't have any business cards or any explanation of why he was here, except to say that he was "just talking" during his visit to City Hall. Loeser, asked a few minutes later why Mendelsohn was here, simply said "he's in town."

Nothing like taunting the local press...

Karla Schuster