Thompson Goes Silent On Radio vs. Anti-Semitic Statement

Bill Thompson yesterday failed to challenge an anti-Semitic statement by a caller on a radio show who slammed Mayor Bloomberg as caring only about “the Jewish people of his persuasion.” The Democratic mayoral hopeful was appearing as a guest on KISS-FM’s “Open Line” during the final 48 hours before tomorrow’s general election when a caller who identified himself as “Carl from Harlem” greeted him and said, “I believe that you will be a good mayor . . . you are for the people, for all the people.”He went on to say Bloomberg is “divisional . . . He just thinks about helping the rich, the rich contractors, and the Jewish people of his persuasion, and I think that it’s time for that type of thinking and that type of people to be moved out of office.”

The host thanked Carl before moving on to two other callers. Thompson replied to a policy question but never referred back to the earlier call.

Thompson later told The Post that he would have denounced Carl had he stayed on the line and said, “I didn’t hear the full comment that the guy had . . . If you go back and look, everyone ignored him. I think they basically just kind of cut him off.”

Thompson’s campaign issued a statement from the candidate, saying, “I received a lot of calls from New Yorkers today, and I did not hear anyone say anything anti-Semitic.

“Obviously, if I had, I would have immediately denounced it or any other statement offensive towards any New Yorkers.”

The Post reported this summer that Thompson was similarly silent when the host of a campaign-sponsored small-business roundtable referred to City Council Speaker Christine Quinn as a “whore.”

Two weeks ago, Thompson and other Democrats blasted comments former Mayor Rudy Giuliani made to a group of Jews about the city’s crime rate before he took office. Many viewed them as racially coded.

Sources close to Thompson privately noted yesterday that Bloomberg never repudiated his predecessor’s remarks.

Meanwhile, Thompson rallied with Sen. Charles Schumer and state Sen. Malcolm Smith in Queens, while Bloomberg rode along part of the New York City Marathon route in the city’s parade car with Police Commissioner Ray Kelly.

Later, at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Midtown, Bloomberg joined a crowd of 500 in a standing ovation for controversial activist and Independence Party leader Lenora Fulani at a get-out-the-vote rally.

 The following was the exchange on-air:

HOST: All right, speaking of Harlem, let’s go to Line No. 8. We got Carl from Harlem. Carl, good morning, how are you? CALLER: Good morning, brother, I just wanted, I was the brother that spoke with you on City Hall about Dr. Cutty. You need to speak to him, brother, because that’s not true what you feel.

This thing I want to say is that I believe that you will be a good mayor, Billy. Because I believe that you are for the people, for all the people.

And I believe that Bloomberg is divisive, right? He’s divisional, and he doesn’t have all the people’s worth at hand. He just think about helping the rich, the rich contractors and the Jewish people of his persuasion.

And I think that it’s time for that type of thinking and that type of people to be moved out of office.

All the people in the city need the same type of help. And not just the rich. And they need to do something. I’m going to be campaigning for you, brother, and God bless you, and I thank the panel for having you.

HOST: Thanks, caller, very much.

As the host thanked Carl before moving on to two other callers, Thompson replied to a policy question but never referred back to the earlier call.

{NY Post}

{Matzav.com Newscenter}