NYC Comptroller Launches Mayoral Bid

In a speech that denounced Michael Bloomberg's "rich keep getting more filthy rich" administration, yesterday scandal-plagued New York City Comptroller John Liu officially launched his campaign for mayor.

“My parents truly believed in that promise–that an immigrant family named Liu could work their way up to become like a family named Kennedy,” he said. “That’s why they named me John—and if you don’t believe me—feel free to ask my brothers Robert and Edward.” His parents worked hard and paid their dues to get ahead, and they were successful, he said. “And New York kept its part of the promise too—because if we didn’t quite rival the Kennedys, a New York City public school kid like me was able to make it all the way to New York City Comptroller,” he said. “Promise kept.”

Liu is the first Asian person ever elected to city-wide office.  Last month his campaign treasurer was arrested and charged with using straw donors to evade the city's rules on donation limits and gain matching funds from the New York City Campaign Finance Board.  Yesterday Liu repeated his claim that as a child he worked alongside his mother in a garment sweatshop, even though his mother has told that press that the story is untrue.