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.

NEW YORK CITY: Koch Endorses Quinn

Closeted former NYC Mayor Ed Koch says that when openly gay City Council Speaker Christine Quinn formally announces her 2013 run for mayor, he'll endorse her. But he makes no bones about Quinn not being his first choice.

Former Mayor Ed Koch thinks Chris Quinn is the best person to take his old job in 2013 now that he’s given up his dream of seeing NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly in City Hall. “I urged Ray Kelly to run for the last year-and-a-half. He told me he would not. I urged him again, he told me he would not. And when he decided he would not, I started backing Chris Quinn,” Mayor Koch told Politicker.

Quinn seems to have survived her 2008 financial scandal relatively well, although a small but extremely vocal contingent of LGBT enemies continue to dog many of her public appearances. Other possible 2013 mayoral contenders have problems of their own. City Comptroller John Liu is currently embroiled in a financial scandal involving Chinese nationals who may have illegally funneled money to his campaign. As for Anthony Weiner, some still do hold out dimming hopes of his running.

Alan Van Capelle Leaves Pride Agenda

Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Capelle is stepping down for a position in the office of NYC Comptroller John Liu. The departure comes shortly after ESPA's years-long attempt to bring marriage equality to New York failed in the state Senate.

Van Capelle is breaking the news this morning to the staff at ESPA, where his seven-year tenure makes his the organization's longest-serving executive director. He will be Liu's deputy comptroller for external affairs, serving as a chief advisor on intergovernmental relations, politics and communications. He will start his new job in early March. "Executive directors tend to have a shelf life of five or six years," van Capelle told me this morning. "I think change is good. Period. The tremendous success the Pride Agenda has had over the last seven years may have been while I was executive director, but it wasn't solely because I was executive director....There are a lot of talented people who could lead this movement. My departure will provide an opportunity for somebody else." Van Capelle's departure comes almost two months after the LGBT community suffered a significant setback in the fight for marriage when the Senate defeated the measure, 24-38.

Comptroller Liu is said to be planning a 2013 run for NYC mayor. His hiring of Van Capelle may be part of laying the groundwork for LGBT support for that campaign. The recently elected Liu is a piece of work who makes his employees stand when he enters the room. They may only address him as "Mr. Comptroller." Good luck with that, Alan.