Mayor Bloomberg has proven himself a man willing to take on, and keep with, a crusade, as in his success in regaining mayoral control of the city’s school system. But his smoking crusade suggests he’s also capable of being diverted in the midst of serious problems by ancillary issues. While the city is facing a more than $5 billion shortfall in next year’s budget, the mayor seems to have focused his energy on his anti-choice, anti-business smoking legislation, going on the air with a new radio ad pushing for the anti-smoking bill he has introduced to the City Council. The ads, which are paid for with health department funds intended for public education rather than political lobbying, have incurred the wrath of council members and watchdog agencies alike, with Council Member Eric Giola warning that these funds are not intended “to push a particular piece of legislation or a particular piece of the mayor’s agenda.”

The irony here is that much of the trouble that Mr. Bloomberg has had passing the anti-smoking bill stems not from the council’s resistance to such politics but to the zeal with which he’s approached this goal. Yesterday’s New York Times says that “privately, council members and their aides say that the growing resentment over the way Mr. Bloomberg approached the issue could stand in the way of the bill’s passing.” One member says of the mayor, “He’s a true believer and can’t recognize that many people, for valid reasons, might not be.” The irony here is that it appears that Mr. Bloomberg had worked out or had been in the midst of working out a deal to pass this new no smoking bill, but publicly announced such an agreement either before it had been reached or at least before Mr. Miller had consented to make it public, and in so doing lost what support he seemed to have had lined up. Not to mention the bartenders, in whose name he so oleagenously appears to be acting. The ones we talk to wouldn’t think of throwing a cigarette puffing patron off one of their stools. It looks like hizzoner could use a drink.