PRESIDENT OBAMA has become the latest public fault line between Mayor Bloomberg and Gov. Cuomo.
Bloomberg, the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, hammered the President Tuesday for a lack of leadership amid a debt crisis in the wake of a failed congressional fix-it supercommittee.
“It requires leadership and leadership starts with the chief executive,” the mayor said.
But Cuomo, appearing on Albany’s Talk 1300-AM radio, said the blame belongs at the other end of Pennsylvania Ave., insisting the congressional inaction is a “government writ-large failure.”
Still, Bloomberg noted Obama campaigned on a platform of change, but, “I haven’t heard any other idea than blaming each other and outlining the problem to everybody else.”
“He is the chief executive, he was elected to lead this country,” Hizzoner told MSNBC. “All he’s got to do is stand up and say, ‘I will veto any extension of any of the Bush-era tax cuts.’ “
Bloomberg, who has called for axing the cuts, said a veto would force GOPers to “start working with the Democrats on how you can come up with intelligent cuts.”
Cuomo, a Democrat who has publicly backed Obama’s reelection effort, bent over backward to protect the President while voicing his displeasure over the supercommittee’s inaction — and its impact on New York.
“You can have an argument that this was a legislative responsibility, and they even told the President, ‘Stay away from it,’ ” Cuomo said.
Political insiders are not surprised that Cuomo and Bloomberg took decidedly differing approaches.
“Mike Bloomberg is the independent, and Andrew Cuomo is trying to make sure he can keep his Democratic credentials intact,” said veteran Democratic operative Hank Sheinkopf.
klovett@nydailynews.com
