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De Blasio Has No Regrets About Snubbing Hillary Clinton

By Jeff Mays | April 15, 2015 12:36pm
 Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has no regrets about not endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Sunday on
Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has no regrets about not endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Sunday on "Meet the Press." Here, de Blasio and First Lady Chirlane McCray gathered with progressive leaders from around the country at Gracie Mansion.
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DNAinfo/Jeff Mays

THE BRONX — Mayor Bill de Blasio said he has no regrets about not endorsing Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton Sunday on "Meet the Press."

De Blasio called Clinton a "very well-known leader, an incredibly capable leader" at an unrelated press conference in the Bronx Tuesday, but said she's been out of the game for a while.

"She was secretary of state and not in a position to address domestic issues," he said. "And then, since then, she's been out of the public eye – hasn't been a public servant. This is the first time we're really going to get to hear her talk about a host of issues."

The situation for millions of Americans has changed since the last time Clinton was able to articulate a vision on the issues, said de Blasio, citing the economic downturn known as the Great Recession.

"This is a different country we're living in right now, and I think we need to hear a vision that relates to this time, not eight years ago – this time," said the mayor.

"I think she'll have a lot to say. But until she does, I think it's fair for people to wait to hear it."

De Blasio said that Clinton and her team were aware of the comments he was going to make on "Meet the Press" and described himself as loyal to Clinton and her husband former president Bill Clinton, both of whom he has worked for.

"I consider myself a loyal person in life, first and foremost, in terms of family and friends, and also, absolutely, in politics," said the mayor. "But yeah, there's times when you might have a situation where you consider someone a friend and you have deep respect for them, but you still have a substantive issue you have to resolve."

De Blasio took some criticism from Clinton supporters for his failure to endorse her similar to the way Gov. Andrew Cuomo or Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand did after Clinton's long-expected announcement Sunday that she was running for president.

Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen said Sunday that Clinton fought for middle class and poor families before de Blasio "could even articulate any vision at all" and that his "self aggrandizing" at Clinton's "expense won't go unnoticed."

On Tuesday, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney told an upstate radio station that de Blasio should have his "head examined" for not immediately endorsing Clinton.

"Well, I'd like him to know I appreciate his concern for my health," de Blasio said when asked about Maloney's remarks.

Pushing the issue of income inequality and other progressive issues is his main concern, said the mayor.

De Blasio embarks Wednesday on a trip where he will give two speeches to address income inequality. De Blasio will speak at a lecture series at University of Nebraska before traveling to Des Moines, Iowa where he will speak at Drake University.

"If we don't address income inequality, we're in a very dangerous situation, and more and more Americans are going to fall behind. So, I hope whatever the next days – however the next days play out, I hope the issue comes to the fore. That's what we're working for," said de Blasio.