WILL NADLER AND STRINGER KNIFE JOHN LIU?

By Dick Kleindiesnt

The weird sumo-wrestling-style maneuvering between New York City Comptroller John Liu and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer- and his patron, Congressman Jerry Nadler has begun.

With the leader of the city’s largest municipal union is already talking up the candidacy of Comptroller John Liu for Mayor in 3013, Stringer and his patron Nadler must decide whether to strong-arm the Working Families Party into backing Stringer for Mayor or push Liu for Mayor, confident of his defeat and position Stringer for the vacated office of Comptroller.

“Liu is a Moron whose constant self-promotion has hurt him with voters.”
-Veteran Democrat Operative

Sources said that while Lillian Roberts, executive director of District Council 37, has told people privately that the union could end up endorsing Liu but WFP officials said Nadler has the power to push the union-based party to back Stringer for mayor.

“Nadler and Stringer think Liu is a dope,” said one WFP insider. They might push him for Mayor, certain he will get beat so that Stringer could move into the Comptroller’s spot.

One veteran Democrat operative, an ex-NY Cop who works mostly for unions and is considered a expert on the outer-borough Catholic vote disagreed. “Stringer is the only Jew in the field after Weiner imploded,” he told us. “Scott could be Mayor if Jerry can deliver the WFP. Liu is a moron who’s constant self-promotion has hurt him with voters.”

“Nadler and Stringer think Liu is a dope,” said one WFP insider.

All of this is bad news for Bill Thompson, the former comptroller who was endorsed by DC 37 in 2009 and is the only black candidate in the Democratic mayoral primary field.

DC 37 — which reps most of the city’s clerical and maintenance workers — is made up mostly of minorities, and the loss of that union- and the Working Families Party nod- would be a severe blow to Thompson’s hopes for taking City Hall.

A Democratic insider said Liu is actively courting municipal unions by virtually every word and deed. “DC 37 supported Liu for comptroller, and he has always delivered for them on pensions, city contracts and other issues,” said the insider. “It would not be a shock to see them support Liu for mayor.” Roberts issued a statement saying it’s way to early to discuss what might happen in 2013.