New York's tabloid press corps is getting a sweet two-day reprieve from trying to catch Mayor de Blasio arriving late to ribbon cuttings. The mayor spent yesterday in Nebraska, and is in Iowa today, talking about his favorite topic: wealth inequality, and why we need to tax the rich.
Here is an excerpt from his prepared remarks, with the original capitalization and punctuation preserved:
Polls show that fewer and fewer Americans even IDENTIFY as middle class any more. The middle class is ERODING — if we do not act -- and act boldly -- it will be at risk of disappearing altogether. How did we get here? A big part of the problem is that we have a system — especially a tax code — that rewards WEALTH, rather than WORK. Don't take my word for it. Take it from Omaha's own Warren Buffett. In 2011, Mr. Buffett calculated his federal tax rate at 17.4% — about half the rate of his office staff—and less than his secretary. And look, I think we all understand that Warren Buffett isn't exactly a left-wing socialist - despite what you might hear on FOX News! Rather, he recognized this was a problem not just of fairness, but also of ECONOMICS.
In terms of drumming up publicity, de Blasio couldn't have timed his visit better. The mayor got political commentators chattering last Sunday when, in the wake of Hillary Clinton's announcement that she is running for president, he said he needed to "see the substance" of her platform before endorsing her. Today, de Blasio will be a corn husk's-throw away from his one-time mentor, and who doesn't love a good protege turned rival narrative?
The Democratic establishment. From the Times:
The mayor "wants to be a big shot," said William M. Daley, President Obama's former chief of staff. If Mr. de Blasio wants a national profile, Mr. Daley said, he should "lay out specifics for urban America that are doable, not just, 'We want the wealthy to be taxed more so we can spend their money somehow.'"
The criticism continues:
Others in the extended Clinton universe were even blunter. John Morgan, a prominent Florida lawyer and longtime Clinton campaign fund-raiser, called Mr. de Blasio's broadside "a B-team move in a prime-time venue."
"You ran her campaign; was she not progressive enough when you did that?" Mr. Morgan asked, referring to Mr. de Blasio's management of Mrs. Clinton's first Senate race.
Hillary Clinton has yet to be able to shake off that Chappaqua stuffiness and "hang with heartland folks," according to an Iowa newspaper. (Getty Images)
Asked how giving speeches at Midwestern colleges is relevant to the governance of New York City, a mayoral spokesman pointed to remarks de Blasio gave in the Bronx on Tuesday. The blurb also addresses the longstanding criticism that the mayor has no real power to affect wealth and income disparities:
"A lot of the solutions can only happen on the national level. And until we change the national discussion, we won't get the help we need for our fellow New Yorkers, nor will we change the course of this nation. So I'm going to use the bully pulpit I have to push this issue and to work with people who feel the same way."
As for how Clinton is faring in Iowa, the Des Moines Register has concluded she is "hardly hangin' with heartland folks."
