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Borough President Markowitz heartily endorsed Councilman Bill DeBlasio for public advocate on Monday — the second time in as many weeks that the borough’s highest elected official has backed a Brooklynite for a citywide office.
Last week, Markowitz journeyed to City Hall to endorse Councilman David Yassky (D-Brooklyn Heights) in his run for comptroller.
A cynic would say — not this cynic, of course, but another cynic who looks like him — that Markowitz, the ultimate Brooklyn booster, didn’t look at resumes, but a map when he selected Yassky over his three Queens rivals John Liu, Melinda Katz and David Weprin; and then DeBlasio over his adversaries, Councilman Eric Gioia (D-Queens), and Mark Green and Norman Siegel, both of Manhattan.
“I must say that I know all the candidates [in both races] and they’re very good candidates,” Markowitz said at Borough Hall on Monday. “But I just think that David and Bill will do a better job.
“And the fact that they’re both from Brooklyn is just the strawberries on top of Junior’s cheesecake,” he added.
Minutes earlier, Markowitz had praised DeBlasio for already doing the public advocate job while a member of the City Council, showing “leadership” on affordable housing, union issues and the environment.
“Clearly, he is one of the most active members of the Council who has done what a public advocate should do: expose, remedy, challenge and be a counterweight to the mayor,” Markowitz added.
A week earlier, Markowitz used similar language to praise Yassky as “the type of fighter we need in the comptroller’s office.”
Of course, the Yassky endorsement was not undercut by a bizarre appearance by Assemblyman Vito Lopez, the powerful head of the Brooklyn Democratic party organization.
Lopez certainly praised DeBlasio, but also predicted that he would finish second in the Sept. 15 primary — then win the runoff “by four percentage points.”
Not to be outdone, Councilman Erik Martin Dilan also said DeBlasio would be the runner-up in the primary, but win the runoff by six points.
Neither Lopez nor Dilan would say who they thought was the stronger candidate than DeBlasio.
©2009 Community Newspaper Group
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