With his eye set firmly on a third term, Mayor Michael Bloomberg last night called upon the powers that be in Albany to legalize gay marriage in new York state.
"We see that the tide is turning, that support is mounting," Bloomberg said to a partisan audience at the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center's annual dinner. "Make no mistake, the time will come ... and we will pass this bill."
Bloomberg has called for this in the past, but with Sen. Chuck Schumer's recent conversion, it behooved Hizzonor to remind the LGBT community of his long-held stance. He also reiterated his willingness to testify in favor of such legislation.
The major hurdle for such legislation in New York has been the Republican-controlled state Senate. But with Dems now in the driver's seat, there's renewed hope that change is afoot. But nothing's going to happen without some support from the right side of the aisle.
"We need Republican votes to pass this. We gave a lot of money to the Republican state Senate campaign last year," said Paul Schindler, editor in chief of Gay City News, reported The New York Daily News. "When the gay community gets politicians to say they're on our side, the next question is, How soon?"
Bloomberg has been courting city GOPers in the hopes of running on their ticket in November. If the Republicans decide that Bloomberg could help reinvigorate their brand, they may be willing to help make gay marriage happen.
If Bloomie decides he needs the GOP more than they need him, his priorities could change pretty quickly.
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But with a his approval sitting at 64 percent, this year's mayoral race will lack any real drama.
