By Jordan Heller
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared to have a senior moment on John Gambling's radio show Friday morning when he couldn't remember the current Health Commissioner's name — and confused his predecessor's name with that of a New York Times columnist.
During a discussion on the proposed smoking ban for city parks and beaches, Bloomberg stumbled over the name of his health commissioner, who was sitting right next to him in the radio booth at the time.
"A lot of people don't like sitting next to somebody who's smoking and they don't like — which incidentally is, Tom Frieden's with us — Friedman — yes, well, Foley," Bloomberg said.
Thomas Frieden was Bloomberg's health czar until June, 2009. Thomas Friedman is, of course, the famous Times columnist.
Thomas Farley, however, is now the man in charge of the city's health department.
In a futile effort to right himself, Bloomberg continued to oscillate between Friedman, Frieden and Tom Foley, perhaps the bygone speaker of the House of Representatives.
At one stage he almost had it right. "Friedman was the last guy," Bloomberg said. "Frieden was the last guy. Friedman's the columnist..." But then he added: "Foley's the one we have now."
Unaware of his blunder, the mayor continued: "I picked Foley, Tom Foley, because we didn't have to change the monograms on the towels."
"Tom Friedman, Tom Foley — and a lot of people, all kidding aside, don't like all the butts and cigarettes and the beach and everything," he went on.
At one stage, the mayor turned to a name he could remember.
"Tom, you want to talk about this a little bit?" he asked.
Alas, Bloomberg couldn't leave well enough alone before adding, "Foley?"
Finally, Gambling corrected the mayor.
"Farley," the radio show host said.
"Farley," the mayor agreed.
