'He Appears to be Self-Destructing'

This could be fun food fight. In one corner we have former Democrat turned RINO turned independent Michael Bloomberg, the ultimate holier-than-thou nanny-stater.

In the other we have neophyte Governor David Paterson, who by happenstance finds himself as New York's chief executive despite his drug-using, womanizing past.

And it sure seems they have no use for each other.

Let's get it on, boys!

Mayor Bloomberg is a nasty, untrustworthy, tantrum-prone liar who "has little use" for average New Yorkers - like the 1,500 workers who would have lost their jobs had OTB closed, a furious Gov. Paterson has said privately.

"He appears to be self-destructing," the governor said.

According to a source with firsthand knowledge of Paterson's comments, the governor said that during talks last week on OTB's future, Bloomberg threw the same kind of bizarre tantrums that disgraced former Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been known for.

"He has the same kind of anger that reminds you of Spitzer," Paterson said. "I think he's starting to be concerned that he can't get anything done."

The governor charged that Bloomberg has repeatedly misrepresented the facts to the point that "you can't trust him."

The normally even-tempered Paterson leveled the explosive charges in private conversations this weekend after a bitter confrontation with the mayor on the pending state takeover of the New York City Off-Track Betting Corp., the source said.

The state agreed to take over the Big Apple's 60 OTB parlors, but the mayor then raised the stakes, insisting the city should continue to receive $18 million in surcharges on bets.

A last-minute compromise was reached yesterday.

The source quoted Paterson as saying of Bloomberg, "There's some kind of destabilization over there."

"His presidential thing didn't work out, term limits is looming to force him out, he's waiting and waiting to be asked to be vice president, congestion pricing didn't happen, he lost teacher tenure, the Jets stadium, and OTB isn't going the way he wants it."

Paterson compared Bloomberg to Spitzer, whose rages during private conversations became notorious before he resigned in March.

"Eliot Spitzer's tantrums were bizarre because you never knew when they were coming or why, whether it was contrived or whether he was a psycho," the governor said.

"With Bloomberg, you know why he's upset, but he has the same kind of anger that reminds you of Spitzer."

Ouch.

Now it's personal. You could well expect Bloomberg, whose term expires in 2009, to mount a challenge to Paterson in 2010.

Thanks to Glenn Reynolds for the link.