7:58 p.m. The Bloomberg campaign's press release arrives in the e-mail boxes of city reporters.
Campaign manager Bradley Tusk says, "New Yorkers want a Mayor who steps up to the plate, not someone who runs away from a challenge." Good analogy Tusk—at least he's aware that New Yorkers have baseball, not politics, on the brain.
7:57 p.m. Ritter urges people to vote Nov. 3. A rowdy Bloomberg supporter shouts out "Four more years!"
7:55 p.m. Closing time. Mayor's up first.
He says "there's no free lunch"—we're doing well, but everyone is going to have to pitch in.
Thompson talks about the middle class being pushed out of the city under Bloomberg's administration (third time's the charm). He'll push for more affordable housing. Eight is enough.
7:53 p.m. They're asked to grade each other. Thompson says he'll be kind, and then delivers Bloomberg a "D-." Ouch.
Bloomberg goes the other route and says Thompson has been a reasonably good comptroller. Probably a better tack. Thompson looks bad.
7:50 p.m. Topic=Immigration reform.
"We need more immigrants, not less," says Hizzoner.
"We need to stand up and make sure they don't have to hide," Thompson says of immigrants.
Okay, so they're both psyched about immigrants, but neither presents a policy on the issue. Shocker.
7:48 p.m. Ray Kelly-should he stay or should he go?
Thompson puckers up for the NYPD, saying it's the officers on the street that make this city safe, not one man. Oh and p.s., remember your old commissioner, Bernard Kerik? Yeah, um...He's in jail...
The mayor says Kelly's doing a great job.
7:43 p.m. Bloomberg is asked about his wealth quadrupling while he was in office. He says...Hmm, he seems to have sidestepped the question and is back to talking about affordable housing. Sneaky!
The mayor says he does not "get the sense" that people think he is out of touch with the average New Yorker. It's not what he feels when he rides the subway every day. Every day people. Your mayor. On the subway.
Thompson says the mayor is out of touch, and then he's back on the "Bloomberg's pushing people out of the city" train.
Speaking of trains, the candidates are asked how they will improve the subways.
Bloomberg says we need to get more capital funds. Good idea. Now how do we do that again...?
7:35 p.m. The issue of contributions to Thompson's campaign by pension fund placement agents is raised. The comptroller says that there were no favors associated with the funds. Bloomberg says it's quid pro quo and Thompson should give the money back. It's probably a bit easier to return money when you've got several billion in the bank...
Thompson says the mayor is engaged in pay-to-endorse politics. Says he bought the Republican Party line and the Independence Party line. Whoa.
7:31 p.m. Another online question: "How do you define the middle class?" The mayor says it's the people who use our public schools, use public transportation, have a job, can pay the bills... He is pressed for a number but says there isn't one.
Thompson says the definition of the middle class is someone who's leaving New York because Bloomberg is pushing them out. Score one for the comptroller.
7:30 p.m. "He failed our students, he failed our teachers, he failed the taxpayers...I don't think anybody wants to go back to that," Bloomberg says of Thompson's time as prez of the Board of Education.
7:25 p.m. Bloomberg is asked about the recently released National Assessment of Educational Progress test scores, which suggest that students are not doing as well as was represented. The mayor says those were statewide scores—city scores will come out in two weeks. We'll keep an eye out for those.
Thompson says "enough of Enron, enough of cooking the books," saying the administration is not being truthful about the state of the public education system.
7:21 p.m. Thompson is asked how he would tackle affordable housing.
He says he'd replace people at the Rent Guidelines Board with more tenant-friendly people and he'd protect Mitchell Lama tenants (how...?).
Bloomberg says he has built 165,000 units of affordable housing—mostly private money with some city money.
7:20 p.m. A question is raised regarding the money spent on the new Yankee stadium.
Thompson says this is another example of Bloomberg giving money to his developer friends while communities around the stadium suffer.
7:17 p.m. Bloomberg wonders why Thompson, who is the city comptroller, never said anything before about all the excess fat?! Assumedly that would be his job...
Mayor goes on to say no, I won't raise taxes. We need to grow our economy—bring in more jobs.
7:14 p.m. "Would you raise taxes? How would the budget gap be closed?"—a question submitted online. Here's the link if you'd like to ask something: 7online.com.
Thompson says no, he won't raise taxes, but there's plenty of fat to cut. Mentions privatization in police force as one way to reduce costs, as well as to eliminate no-bid contracts that often overpay.
7:12 p.m. Mayor jumps on Thompson's record at the Board of Ed. Thompson says "Let's stop deceiving the public, Mike." Says he paved the way for mayoral control.
Bloomberg says dang straight you did—it was so bad we needed mayoral control! Mayor uses his Spanish for the first time tonight—undoubtedly not the last—says the people said "No mas!" to the way Thompson dealt with education.
7:09 p.m. Unemployment rate is above 10 percent—how will you create more jobs?
Mayor says he's created tens of thousands of jobs—the only jobs Thompson has created were tired bureaucratic positions in the old Board of Ed. and new spots for pension fund managers. Oh snap!
Worth noting—in typical Bloomberg style, he does not say Bill Thompson's name, repeatedly referring to him as "my opponent."
7:07 p.m. Thompson says nobody can afford New York anymore, it's not the same place he grew up in, same tune he's been singing for awhile. If he's mayor, NYC will be affordable! More housing! Cheaper utilities!
Bloomberg says that the money for has to come from somewhere..."He's gonna tax someone."
7:05 p.m. Term limits alert! The mayor is asked if he'd reinstate term limits if he's elected to a third term. He says he'd form a commission to look into the issue.
Thompson says Bloomberg ignored the people and disregarded the Democratic process.
7:02 p.m. Dave Evans asks what Mayor Michael Bloomberg failed to do in the previous eight years that he will do in the next four years.
Education, crime, transportation...The mayor lists everything under the sun, saying that while things have improved tremendously, "there's more work to do," a continuing campaign theme.
Comptroller Thompson says he failed the middle class.
7:00 p.m. Tonight's second and final mayoral debate is hosted by WABC, so we're live blogging it from the couch! Sweet.
Both candidates are wearing red ties. Hmn.
Tonight's moderator is Bill Ritter, co-anchor of Eyewitness News. Asking questions are journalists Dave Evans, Antonio Martinez and Stan Brooks.
