Diaz Sr. Confronts De Blasio On Cuomo's "Extreme Conservatives" Comment

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s budget testimony in Albany focused on pre-kindergarten, but he also found himself once again defending Andrew Cuomo’s recent criticism of “extreme conservatives.”

State Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx questioned how de Blasio’s message of unity and eliminating the “Tale of Two Cities” fits with the view that conservatives have no place in the state. De Blasio answered that people often find common ground regardless of political allegiances.

“By definition it’s my job to work with everyone—every kind of constituent. The people who voted for me … and the ones who didn’t vote for me, it’s my job to serve them, too,” he said. “On the question of the values of this state and of our city, I said this in Washington, I interpret the governor’s comments—and I associate with my governor—to mean that some of those more extreme views do not resemble the majority of our state.”

Assemblywoman Jane Corwin, a Republican from Western New York, let the issue drop. “Quite frankly,” she said, “I could spend an hour on that, but I won’t because my comments really have to do with pre-K.”