Blasio critic sleighs ’em
Gov pal regales crowd with Yule foolery
Guests at Gov. Cuomo’s annual holiday party got some extra cheer this year from a longtime pal of the governor who read a Christmas classic with new verses that ribbed Mayor de Blasio.
Charlie King brought down the house at the Public House restaurant in Midtown Monday night by offering a sharp twist on the wellknown poem “A Visit from St. Nicholas.”
“’ Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the state, everybody was working while de Blasio was late,” King read to guffaws from the 250 attendees that included Cuomo loyalists, elected officials and government insiders,” King read.
“Some worked happy, others worked under duress. Some tried to solve the homelessness mess.”
The references, instantly recognizable to the politically attuned crowd, were to de Blasio’s reputation for lateness and to the governor’s pledge to help deal with the city’s homeless crisis. De Blasio did not attend. A spokesman for the mayor, who has feuded with Cuomo for much of the year, declined comment.
Relations between the two grew frostier than ever in June, when de Blasio decided to go public with a long list of grievances against the governor.
“What I found was he engaged in his own sense of strategies, his own political machinations, and what we’ve often seen is if someone disagrees with him openly, some kind of revenge or vendetta follows,” the mayor said.
Despite the unseasonably warm weather, the big chill between Cuomo and de Blasio continues.
Last month, Cuomo’s office said de Blasio “can’t manage the homeless crisis” and is “inept” at dealing with the issue.
King, a political consultant who is also a confidant of Al Sharpton, devoted most of his poem to Cuomo’s accomplishments and to jokes about Albany figures.
The kicker came in the form of a nod to Uber, the taxi app that has warred with de Blasio, to explain how Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, Cuomo and even Santa were getting around.
“The gov, Heastie and Santa smiled, then took an Uber for flight. ‘Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.’ ”
Much of King’s poem was a tongueincheek salute to Joe Percoco, Cuomo’s top aide and political adviser, who is leaving for a job at Madison Square Garden.
“We’re seeing Charlie King’s sensitive side,” Cuomo joked during the event, according to one guest.