In the Tank: NYC Council Puppets Reads Off Cue Cards Prepared By UFT

Not that it's any secret Democrats are a wholly-owned subsidiary of the teacher's unions, but man, this is ridiculous. It's not enough the deck is stacked against charter schools. It's not enough poor kids are mired in failing publics controlled by the UFT. But the union has to go and stage a hearing with scripted cue cards prepared for the Democrat-controlled city council. What a joke.

Chastened officials with the United Federation of Teachers yesterday promised never again to put words in the mouths of City Council members after the union's cheap stunt -- giving scripted questions to lawmakers at a hearing -- caused a furor.

"We certainly don't plan on it happening again," said a contrite Ron Davis, a spokesman for UFT president Randi Weingarten. "This is the first time, at least in our staff's memory, that this type of communication occurred during a hearing."

UFT reps were caught red-handed passing out the cue cards with leading questions for council members to ask Department of Education officials at a hearing on charter schools Tuesday.

Mayor Bloomberg decried the tactic yesterday, saying council members should have been clear about the origins of their queries.

"They probably should have disclosed that those questions were written for them by a party that has a vested interest," said Bloomberg, who is battling the union over mayoral control of the school system and an expanded charter-school program.

"The real issue here is supporting the schools that parents want to send their kids to," he added. "And we have a waiting list of 30 or 40 thousand kids who want to go to charter schools."

Although the union made the council look like puppets, council Speaker Christine Quinn defended her members' independence.

"Clearly what happened at the hearing was regrettable," she said. "Obviously, pre-printed questions are something that shouldn't have happened, but any belief that council members are puppets and not informed are as outrageous as those cards were."

Translation: We're puppets, but I'm outraged that you would call me a puppet.

Just pathetic.

More reaction here.

The questions for the Department of Education were sharp and confrontational.

The questions for the union were softballs.

UFT officials sat in the front row of the ornate council hearing room to insure their script was being followed.

If that wasn't outrageous enough, legislators were told which question to direct to which official.

It's not uncommon for lobbyists, advocates and even reporters to request that a specific question be posed at a City Hall hearing.

But no one had ever seen what the UFT pulled off.

"It crosses the line," said Felder. "It's not the actual questions. It's the directing. It's the atmosphere that was created."

He's right.

The union's ploy, observers said, went far beyond typical lobbying tactics of briefing council members before a hearing or providing position papers.

"I've had people suggest to me ask the commissioner this or ask this witness that. I've never had anybody type up cue cards for me," said Councilman James Oddo (R-SI).

A former council member, who's been in politics for decades, couldn't recall a similar incident in his career. "I've never heard of it being done on a mass basis," said the veteran pol.

Instapundit links. Thanks!

NYC Councilmen: Hey, Let's Call It Citi/Taxpayer Field

Another non-starter, of course, from the world's most useless political body, but since it comes from that rare species, GOP New York City Councilmen, we figure it's worth noting. I understand where they're coming from, but I doubt this is going anywhere.

Two New York City Council members say that Citigroup should show its thanks for a federal bailout by sharing the naming rights to the new Mets ballpark in Queens.

The struggling bank is slated to pay $400 million over the next 20 years to name the stadium Citi Field.

The bank made the commitment years ago, when it was flush with cash. Now that Citigroup is getting billions of dollars in federal aid, Staten Island Republicans Vincent Ignizio and James Oddo say the ballpark's name should be changed to Citi/Taxpayer Field.

Of course, any story mentioning the infamous James Oddo is always worth a look. A blast from the past:

This Way, Mr. Fossella

Here's the door, Vito, it's time to go. Good luck in the private sector.

As if Congressional Republicans don't face enough bad news heading their way this fall, they now have a growing mess on their hands with Vito Fossella, the lone representative from New York City.

Fossella last week was busted driving drunk in Virginia, and that may be the least of his troubles.

Embattled Staten Island Rep. Vito Fossella isn't saying whether he fathered a love child - but his alleged gal pal is doing enough talking for the both of them.

Shapely former Air Force Col. Laura Fay has been frantically phoning friends and relatives, urging them not to talk to the media about the identity of her baby's daddy, a relative told The Post yesterday.

Fay's flurry of calls is designed to shore up a wall of silence since details of her relationship with Fossella emerged when she curiously signed him out of jail after his arrest for drunk driving in Alexandria, Va. last Thursday, the relative said.

When he was stopped, "the subject stated that he was driving down from Washington D.C. to Grimm St. because his daughter was sick and needed to go to the hospital," the police report said.

Fay lives on Grimm Drive.

Hmm, remarkable coincidence, no?

Meanwhile, Fossella also has made several hush-hush phone calls to top-level Republican Party officials on Staten Island to gauge their support amid the swirling scandal, other sources said yesterday.

Fay, 45, has been refusing to talk publicly about her relationship with Fossella, and the relative - who spoke on condition of anonymity - says she has always been cagey about who fathered her toddler daughter.

Fossella - who has three children with his wife of 18 years - has not denied the rumors. His spokeswoman has only angrily declined to comment, calling such questions "highly inappropriate."

No, his behavior, his judgment, his concern for his family, that's what's highly inappropriate.

The GOP, be it the Staten Island branch or what remains of it in DC, needs to send Fossella packing. Now. The Democrats, you can bet every last nickel, will eagerly wrap this around their necks like a millstone. And do you really need another sleazy member in your midst in the wake of other scandals from the not-too-distant past?

We all revel with glee at the demise of Eliot Spitzer, Jim McGreevey and other assorted Democrats done in politically by their sexual peccadilloes. We can't be hypocrites and look the other way when it's a Republican exercising incredibly bad judgment.

He's got to go.

So, there's the bad news.

The good news, you ask?

Well, just consider the delicious specter of having New York City's wackiest Councilman elevated to the national stage, and all the innovative legislative possibilities that may entail.

Sources said party officials have privately discussed who could best hold onto the seat for the GOP should Fossella end up in deeper trouble.

Names being bandied about include Staten Island DA Daniel Donovan and city Councilman James Oddo.

Dream the dream, baby.

Pigeon Problem? Put Them on Birth Control

New York City Councilman James Oddo received enough attention for his videotaped outburst last month. He'll now be getting plenty of attention for his latest suggestion.

Councilman wants birth control for pigeons

A councilman has a unique solution to reducing the pigeon population at the Staten Island ferry terminals: Put them on birth control.

Councilman James Odd [sic] says OvoControl-P, a drug that renders pigeon eggs unhatchable, could help to thin out the pesky birds and thus the droppings they leave behind inside the terminals where they like to nest.

Oddo says the drug — which would be mixed into standard seed — has not yet been approved for pigeons by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. A similar product meant for geese was given the OK last month.