Good morning… and welcome to the bigger, better (and earlier) Wake-Up Call.
As we head into a new year and a new administration, each morning, we’ll kick off our coverage with a fresh serving of the latest news, a political forecast for the day and the lineups for your leaders and broadcasters to give you a leg up on what’s going down at City Hall and in Albany and Washington.
Start your day with us — and send me your suggestions, schedules and tips at
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Looking ahead to a possible 2016 showdown:
It’s getting less neighborly between two political heavyweights: Gov. Cuomo and his New Jersey counterpart, Chris Christie. The two have had a good relationship during Cuomo’s first three years in office, but that has been tested in recent weeks — even as those close to the two are playing down any tension,
: “We now have the bistate presidential skirmish, and this is the first round,” said veteran Democratic consultant Hank Sheinkopf.
And looking back:
For one of the many who tried and failed to succeed Mayor Bloomberg, the soul-searching continues… with an eye on the heavens: Three months after she failed to win the Democratic primary for mayor, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn is still struggling to understand what happened, even as she tries to move on. “I really believe that everything happens for a reason,” Quinn
in an exclusive sitdown, sipping coffee at a Chelsea diner. “It’s not my plan, but I really believe this is Gd’s plan.” Could her future hold a role in a Hillary Clinton 2016 run?
Meanwhile, vanquished Republican Joe Lhota
won’t keep mum
on the city’s future, but he’ll give Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio a chance to get settled first,
via YWN:
Continuing on the
Hizzoner’s legacy
front,
: “The Bloomberg administration has been pushing through more than $12 billion worth of real estate projects in its waning days, trying to solidify the mayor’s claim to having transformed the face of New York City and lock in plans before Bill de Blasio takes over Jan. 1.”
When de Blasio does take the helm, he might want to…
step it up in the fashion department
— or at least invest in an iron.
: “Bill de Blasio is suiting up for the big job in January — but his clothes don’t quite cut it. Unlike the impeccably dressed Mayor Bloomberg, who gets his suits custom-made by Brooklyn tailor Martin Greenfield, New York’s 109th mayor could use a little help in the wardrobe department — middle-class values be damned.”
De Blasio won’t be using the Bloomberg blueprint when it comes to dealing with Albany,
Liz Benjamin writes for Capital NY
: “De Blasio, despite not having a personal fortune to draw on, will have a chance to do better in Albany. But it won’t be simple…”
Looking forward to the advent of The de Blasio Era:
City Educators.
Our Rachel Monahan exclusively reports
: More than 100 New York City principals are in full-fledged revolt against key Bloomberg administration reforms of the last 12 years. In an open letter to Mayor-elect de Blasio, the principals call for “completely” overhauling the new teacher and principal evaluations, among other changes.
And the
school squabbles
— including over Common Core — extend to the rest of New York:
ahead of a state Board of Regents meeting to address next year’s budget that “Regent Betty A. Rosa wants people to know that her board of 17 members aren’t all in agreement about the public education reform agenda that’s currently upsetting many parents, teachers and school administrators statewide.”
From our Ken Lovett in Albany:
* Hammered by Gov. Cuomo and the liberal wing of the Democratic party in recent weeks for being too closely aligned with the Republicans, state Senate Co-Leader Jeffrey Klein of the Bronx and his fellow breakaway Democrats are set to engage in a media blitz Monday touting their “Affordable NY” plan, which includes $750 million for middle class housing and six weeks paid maternity and family leave to workers. But many Democrats warn Klein and his crew could find themselves right back in the fire heading into next year’s elections if they can’t deliver.
* Gov. Cuomo doesn’t have the best press relations, but Monday night, he’ll bring the “enemy” to his home. Cuomo will host the Albany press corps for an annual holiday party at the governor’s mansion, a stone’s throw from the state Capitol.
From our James Warren in Washington:
It’s the final pre-holiday labor for the Senate and the main topic will be hookers in Nevada. Well, probably not, even though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was just back home and elaborated on a previous declaration that prostitution finally should be outlawed there. He said what he’s doing to fight it is simple: “not giving them any business.” That’s reassuring. Unfortunately, the federal budget, not sexual passions, will be the primary D.C. topic this week. The House passed a modest deal brokered with Senate leaders and now the Senate will vote after ample grandstanding by some Republicans nervous of Tea Party opposition next year. This means they’ll harrumph about insufficient cuts and too much spending. Then the Democrats will find the needed GOP votes to ram this through, end the prospect of another government shutdown and run home to buy presents for the grandkids.
From our Bramhall’s World:
Leaders’ Lineup:
President Obama – Morning: Receives Presidential Daily Briefing in the Oval Office.
Afternoon: Meets with Secretary of the Treasury Lew in the Oval Office.
Gov. Cuomo – 11 a.m.: Holds cabinet meeting, Red Room, State Capitol, Albany.
Mayor Bloomberg – 11 a.m.: appears on ABC’s “The View.”
2:30 p.m.: Photo op with United Kingdom Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne and New York Leadership of the Osborne Association, City Hall, Manhattan.
Mayor-Elect Bill de Blasio: No public schedule. (More on him later…)
Tuning In:
AM 970, 6-9 a.m.: KT McFarland; former Gov. David Paterson; Mike Gallagher.
WNYC 93.9 FM, 10 a.m.: Incoming First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris.
NY1 News, 7 and 10 p.m.: State Senate Independent Democratic Conference members Jeff Klein, Diane Savino and David Carlucci.
And you thought political infighting was bad… An eight-Santa pileup?
IMAGES: BOB JAGENDORF/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS; ANTHONY DELMUNDO/NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
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