Bloomberg Backs Proposed Saudi Deal

Mayor Bloomberg voiced support yesterday to a proposed arms deal that the Bush administration is making with Saudi Arabia.

"I would think that the Congress would vote this and I think they probably should," he said. "If we don't deal with these countries we're not going to have any allies and we desperately need allies in that part of the world."

The mayor waded into the issue a day after Reps. Anthony Weiner and Jerrold Nadler came out against the deal. Mr. Bloomberg said "sound bites" and "some of these cheap political shots" might play well with a handful of constituencies, but aren't productive.

Messrs. Weiner and Nadler plan to introduce a resolution against the $20 billion deal.