Bloomberg's Big Money Hypocrisy

Before getting to these paragraphs below, Michael Powell's article neatly summarizes the huge piles of cash Bloomberg showered on the Republican and Independence parties to (legally, as far as we know) buy access to their ballot lines.  Hizzoner is no angel in this area. 

No doubt electoral politics can be an annoyance. But if the mayor is in the mood for honesty, he might acknowledge that his class has made a substantial contribution to our corrupt age. Mr. Savino stands accused of taking a $15,000 bribe in exchange for promising to help place State Senator Malcolm A. Smith on the mayoral ballot as a Republican. And two assemblymen in the Bronx may have brought dishonor on themselves.At the same time, in the last three months, the United States attorney in Manhattan has announced the arrest of two hedge-fund financiers, and the sentencing of six more. Each of these finely educated and newly minted felons engaged in corruption worth millions of dollars.

Bloomberg and Malcolm Smith both sought to buy the GOP line.  Bloomberg had the money to do it legally, as well as a modicum of common sense, intelligence, and discretion.  All assets Malcolm Smith sorely lacked.