Editorial: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Ideologue or Idiot?

Somebody once asked me, what’s the difference was between “insane” and “eccentric.” I replied “about $2,000,000.” Behavior that would earn you a canvas blazer with wraparound arms and a room with comfy, padded walls if you’re financially-challenged will not put you away if you are, shall with say, “with money.” On the contrary, if you’re a loon with a fat bank account, it might even get you elected mayor of, say, I dunno . . . New York City.

Michael Bloomberg is a beneficiary of the Bloomberg News empire and formerly a card-carryin’ RINO (Republican in Name Only). He’s also the mayor of the Big Apple. The City So Nice They Named It Twice. Gotham City.

Not exactly your low-profile gig. He followed Rudy Giuliani into office, not long after 9-11. Big shoes to fill. As a DA, Rudy earned a well-deserved rep for reducing crime in the nation’s largest city. As mayor, he did more, including turning TImes Square from a sleazy Sodom and Gomorrah theme park into the crown jewel of New York’s tourist trade. Then came 9-11. Rudy’s strength of character earned him the moniker “America’s Mayor.”

What’s an egomaniacal rich guy mayor to do for an encore?

Seriously – Rudy got all the good stuff. Reduce crime? Check. Get the budget in balance? Check. Clean up TImes Square? Check? Keep the city together after 9-11? Check. The only thing Giuliani DIDN’T pull off was getting himself elected President.

Bloomberg immediately cast about for his own “signature issue,” a political cause he can use to achieve greatness. What did he pick? Gun Control.

Now you’d think that in a city where crime was down, the smart money would be on picking some other issue. Say “corruption” or “neighborhood renewal.” Nope. When it comes to gun control, Mikey likes it. He really likes it. He likes it so much, that he took his campaign out of the jurisdiction of the Five Burroughs, and went nationwide under the auspices of his group Mayors Against Illegal Guns.

Pause with me for a bit whilst we consider the in[s]anity of this organization.

Bloomberg’s pet project rails against “illegal” guns. What, you ask, is an illegal gun? To my knowledge, no gun can break the law on it’s own. A gun cannot be illegal simply by existing, therefore the group is less-than-aptly named. It should be more like Mayors Against the Illegal Use or Possession of Guns or perhaps Mayors Against Those Who Use Guns Illegally. But that doesn’t exactly fall trippingly off the tongue, now does it?

Anywho, Bloomie’s point is that he wants to stop guns so he can stop violence. Or something like that. To Bloomberg, the only good guns are those that are in the hands of the government. Like his armed-to-the-teeth, 24/7 bodyguard detail. Mere civilians need not apply. And with his competition with America’s Mayor driving him nuts (I’m not a shrink and I haven’t examined the man, but look at him . . . just sayin’), Mikey looks at New York as a far too small stage for his ambition.

Bloomberg’s Act One went way beyond the Great White Way, spilling out into Virginia and points beyond, as he sent his thugs investigators out to stage stings at gun dealers. Mikey sent two undercover agents into gun stores, had one purchase a gun, and got the other to fill out the forms. This would qualify as a “straw man purchase,” which is illegal. You want it? You buy it, you sign the forms.

For his trouble, Bloomberg was rewarded with some strongly-worded bitch-slapping verbiage from the Feds; the BATFE was none to happy with Bloomie and his buddies. They basically told Hizzhonor to butt the Hell out or else. As in “or else, we’ll prosecute you. In Federal court.” He also earned the enmity of a big honkin’ number of Virginia state officials, who pointed out that they don’t have the unmitigated gall and audacity to tell him how to enforce the law in New York City. Ditto for Tennessee and Nevada officials.

Bloomberg’s current trick: trying to purple nurple Obama into “closing the gun show loophole” that allows the private sale/transfer of firearms without background checks and federal records-keeping. The issue is not one-sided – but Bloomberg is more than willing to tell some tall tales in order to sell his bill o’ goods.

We’re not likely to see the last of the likes of Mr. Bloomberg any time soon. All that money buys a lot of media attention. And in some ways, crazy gets you more – not less – attention, because it’s . . . welll . . . interesting. What’s Nutty Mikey gonna try next? Bloomberg’s problem is that he’s way too committed to his ideology to understand where his powers end and illegalities begin. In short, his ideology has become an idiot-ology, and will eventually land him in enough trouble to the point where he completely marginalizes himself.

So, Ideologue or idiot? I’m not sure there’s that much difference, especially when Bloomberg will stop at nothing to get his point across.