NEW YORK (CBS) ― Mayor Michael Bloomberg had a run-in with a reporter during a press conference on same-sex marriage on Thursday. The incident shocked many and now the disabled blogger wants an apology. Here, Speaker Christine Quinn tries to explain situation to the mayor. Needless to say, Mayor Michael Bloomberg doesn’t like to be interrupted – regardless of the reason. But that’s precisely what happened during his same-sex marriage press conference on Thursday. “This is a too important to be disrupted,” Bloomberg said. “Maybe we just take everything outside.”
It was a moment of silence anything but respectful. Bloomberg stopped mid-sentence when he heard a tape recorder playing in the audience. Wheelchair-bound reporter Michael Harris, a blogger for Examiner.com, had no idea, but it was him. “We ultimately found that I had an audio recorder in the pocket of my overcoat which was hanging on the chair next to me that had fallen on the floor,” Harris told CBS 2 HD. Someone had accidentally pressed play, and Harris couldn’t reach it. That didn’t stop the mayor from staring him down.
“Having the mayor do this to me, with TV channels carrying this live, not only locally but nationally was incredibly embarrassing, was incredibly degrading and I quite frankly felt humiliated by the whole ordeal,” Harris said. The mayor glared at me and said ‘stop it,’ and I couldn’t figure out what he was talking about.” New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn leaned over to tell Bloomberg that Harris was in a wheelchair, but when asked later, Bloomberg was unrepentant.
So, I wonder what he meant by “Maybe we just take everything outside.”?
“Having the mayor do this to me was incredibly embarrassing, was incredibly degrading and I quite frankly felt humiliated”
So how bout the mayor who earned (well, you know, got elected) his high office being interrupted by some gimp in a chair who didn’t take care of his shit?!
You don’t think he felt “embarrassed, incredibly degraded and humiliated” by the rude thoughtless actions of this crip?
Any serious reporter makes sure they aren’t gonna screw things up by doing something like this.
This is a prime example why all press conferences should be held at the tops of steep stairs!
When did the Mayor become a preofessional golfer?
The name of the office is Mayor, not Emperor.
There must be thousands of NYC K-12 teachers shaking their heads in wonder: “He stopped for that”?
#20. Yes, that would have been the way to handle it.
The worst thing about this incident is the way it is being SPUN by the press and the poster. Just because you lean it your way doesn’t always mean that is the way it will fall as is apparent by the number of responses not leaning towards the braying reporter.
He stared down a reporter for interrupting him. Big deal. Oh, the reporter is in a wheelchair?
Hold the presses! This changes everything!
Or wait. No, get a grip. It doesn’t change a damn thing. STFU. Carry on.
Much ado about virtually nothing at all.
This is what passes as “news” these days.
Yah this not News but BlogNews (TM). I got a kick about the Governor saying that that it was Bloomberg’s theme music.
Ah well Bloomberg always came across as some sanctimonious, uptight A-hole but I suppose people should control their tech.
If only Robert Gibbs, at a recent press conference, had that death-like stare, the reporter would not have answered his cell phone and left the room! yikes.
As much of ass of Bloomberg is, I loved the uncomfortable expressions and squirming of the politicians behind him. Talk about an uncomfortable silence by people who are used to gabbing and spinning the facts.
Stay classy New York!
Ummm stands to reason, if you want to be invited back with the big boys, you gotta be able to keep your stuff under control…would have been no different if any other reporter’s cell phone had gone off.
Guys asking for special treatment.
This guy and Alfred1 may have been separated at birth.
http://tinyurl.com/alftard
The blind guy is standing there thinking WTF is going on? And, was probably thinking, “fuck, now I’ve lost my hearing too.”
What’s a tape recorder?
This is such BS, either the jerkoff press people want to be treated as crippled or as capable as any other reporter. Since every reporter I’ve ever meet was such an assholes in general, I’ll bet he deserved such treatment. Every reporter thinks they are special little creatures, writing their small little features, it so funny that people would rather read the small bloggers and not the reporter plodders.
Whatever……………..
Traaxx
#30 – Special Ed
LOL
That is why I love living in the south. Most people who were raised here would never consider doing what the mayor did and if it had been done to someone from here. They would not be crying about it now. Both actions show you can’t take someone from the north anywhere!!!!!