By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
President Barack Obama followed up his lukewarm endorsement of Comptroller William Thompson with a brief shoutout last night to the Democratic mayoral candidate at a Manhattan fundraiser.
"Our great city controller, our candidate for mayor, my friend Billy Thompson is in the house," Obama said at a health care fundraiser at the Hammerstein Ballroom.
The mention was further diluted when Obama also called out two other city pols during his speech, Councilman John Liu, who is expected to become the city’s next comptroller, and Councilman Bill de Blasio, the Democratic candidate for public advocate.
Thompson was not bowled over by the mention. When a Politico reporter asked if he considered the president’s words an endorsement, Thompson replied, "No, do you consider that an endorsement?"
A Thompson spokesman reportedly called that exchange a misunderstanding and said that the comptroller was very happy with the president’s words.
The fundraiser capped off a whirlwind day in Manhattan for the president.
On Tuesday afternoon, Obama met with members of the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force to congratulate them on their work, particularly in apprehending terrorism suspect Najibullah Zazi, who is accused of planning an attack on the subway system.
“You’ve done an unbelievable job under very difficult and trying circumstance,” the president told the agents assembled at their Chelsea offices. “You’re setting the standard for everyone else.”
Bloomberg was a no-show at the event, telling the Daily News, "I've got Ray Kelly there…I've got a campaign and I don't want to politicize this. I want the president to be able to focus on getting as good a briefing as he can on what we're doing."
Earlier in the day Obama raised money for Bill Owens, a Democratic congressional candidate running in a special election in the 23rd District upstate.
He spent the evening hosting a $30,400-per-couple DNC fundraiser at the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle.
Gov. David Paterson, who has faced flack from the White House in the past month, declined an invitation to the event, citing his focus on the state budget crisis.
The president will follow up his trip to the city with a rally in N.J. for Democratic Gov. John Corzine, who is locked in a bitter battle with Chris Christie, and then it’s on to Mass. and Conn. to campaign for Gov. Deval Patrick and Sen. Christopher Dodd, respectively.
