Our crackerjack well-functioning presidency effed up its naughty-&-nice list. A rock-ribbed rock-solid GOP rock — who donated $5,000 to Romney and considered Obama a bummer — just got a season’s greetings card from the White House. Having voted Republican since Lincoln, the recipient couldn’t understand making their Christmas list.
With such efficiency, they can untangle Benghazi?
TAYLOR Swift on her romantic life: “It’s true I fall in love easily, but I periodically step back and try to re-evaluate things.”. . . Justin Bieber: “I’m not going to flash muscles, wear big heavy gold chains then strip to a tight T-shirt like Brando. I won’t sing about sex and drugs, nor will I start partying.”
THE hills are alive with the sound of mayor maybes. Bill Thompson came over with his duenna Betsy Gotbaum, who acts as his unpaid p.r. consultant. Said Bill:
“I attended Midwood High and Tufts, Mom was a public school teacher 30 years, Dad was a Supreme Court judge. My background is education. I’m the best qualified. I grew up in this tough city, and I know how to make it better.”
First he had to make himself better. After an MRI, chewing Advil because of back pain, his day started with a subway and a 7:30 a.m. fund-raiser. Following me, he was onto a Forest Hills event.
“I’m up 6 a.m., get to bed after midnight. My rare breakfast is granola and yogurt and strong Starbucks coffee. We hardly cook at home. Dinner’s a restaurant or takeout — Italian, Chinese, French, Spanish, Mexican — I’ll eat anything.”
OK, so his background? “Brooklyn’s deputy borough president, president of the NYC Board of Education, city controller. My dad married three times. He’s 88 and has a girlfriend. After my divorce, I married Elsie, a great trouper, in 2008. I have two stepchildren, and I just bought a house.
“It’s don’t look back. If you made a mistake, don’t make it twice. I’m not planning what if I don’t get elected. I’m only planning that, when elected, I’ll just rent out my house.
“Poor New Yorkers are priced out. Water costs, parking fines, subway increase. The five boroughs must know we’re there in bad times, too. We must improve schooling. Provide technical education like for auto mechanics. Sharpen preparation for tests. Help phys-ed combat obesity. Overcome rigid curriculum.
“I’m definitely running, not thinking of running. I’ve raised $1.5 million so far. We’re capped out at six, so I need four more. I’ll do well with Spanish and black votes and won’t be shut out of Park Slope, Forest Hills, Brooklyn Heights, Astoria areas where people call me Bill — but Park Avenue, Bloomberg’s territory, where my reception’s nice but not great, has to realize who can run this city.”
And what’s Bill Thompson want for Christmas?
“I’d like a pain-free back.”
AN exclusive crept out this week about Chelsea Clinton maybe looking to maybe run for maybe office. Oh, please, so tiring having to tell you that, as usual, I printed this information long ago. Long ago. Also, and I truly hate to mention this, another this week exclusive that Bloomberg may buy the Financial Times? I printed that months ago. Months ago.
IN line with America’s economic crises, let be heard the immortal words of Sam Confucius: “There are three kinds of people. Those who are good with numbers and those who are not.”
HIS missus on Sir Paul McCartney when in London: “We’re homebodies. We sit around and watch Jeremy Kyle on TV.” . . . Don Cheadle to Hollywood Reporter: “An actor’s five stages of life. Who’s Don Cheadle? Get me Don Cheadle. Get a Don Cheadle type. Find a young Don Cheadle. Whothehell is Don Cheadle?”. . . Friday, 7 p.m., MSG Theater, opening night of “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas.”
SO where’s a high-class chef go to inhale family-style pasta and dumbbell-sized meatballs? If you’re Bobby Flay, it’s Raos, where The Post’s TV critic Linda Stasi related personal tales from her new novel “The Sixth Station.” Like:
Traveling solo with an exorcist Vatican priest, staying with monks in an Italian monastery, tracking a hermetic nun living alone on a mountain, visiting a holy Turkish shrine where, supposedly, the Virgin Mary lived out her years. And searching for a relic containing — she claims — Jesus’ face and DNA on cloth similar to the Turin Shroud.
Published next month, this Forge hardcover is a long walk from Linda’s reviews of Snooki of “Jersey Shore.”
THE State Liquor Authority suspended the license of the SoHo saloon where Chris Brown had his recent bust-up. Did you know that years back, in an East Side joint with assorted citations, a customer passed on? To deflect an SLA probe, this body got hauled out, planted across the street at a phone booth and the owner’s goons then dialed the cops.
Only in New York, kids, only in New York.