Spin Cycle

In a cringe-inducing blather-fest of a press conference -- on the cusp of what's expected to be a uniquely seamy vote to extend term limits for herself, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and most of her members -- Council Speaker Christine Quinn just claimed that at this time of fiscal crisis "we have the opportunity to have consistent leadership" by keeping incumbents in place.

This position is of course inconsistent with her earlier statements that because the voters had supported a two-term limit twice on Election Day, the law shouldn't be changed through anything like today's legislative fix. She echoed the elected-as-a-Republican mayor's "facts changed" rationale. She boosts the job the Council and mayor have done on the budget.

The press conference is continuing. She said she is "very optimistic" the measure will pass, as if the head-counts have not been frenetically taking place. "We have enough votes to pass it," she added. Coyly, one of her aides said when asked in the hallway if the vote was ready, "Ask me in a few hours." She said she expects an attempted amendment calling for a voter referendum to fail. Big surprise.

Pressed on whether she thinks Bloomberg -- who blows away opponents with superior campaign spending -- should abide by public campaign spending restrictions, Quinn became an adherent of the laissez-faire, saying she did not want to tell someone else how to run his campaign.

"I've never been a supporter of term limits," she says. Would this happen again in 2013? She just can't imagine there would be a fiscal crisis of this scope, she says.

This is a little like watching George Costanza explain how by pushing others out of the way to flee a burning apartment, he was actually leading them to safety.