THE spirit of the Democratic Party’s future hit the pavement in Manhattan yesterday to look for votes in the mayoral campaign.
The 2009 campaign, that is.
Rep. Anthony Weiner, the come-from-behind cutie who generated the only glimmer of excitement among listless Democrats this year seems to have forgotten that there’s an election today.
Pointedly leaving his “Ferrer for Mayor” lapel pin at home on the dresser, Weiner yesterday plopped in front of the cameras to grab a little face time on the news during what should have been Freddy’s day.
But judging from the high number of reporters who turned out to greet him, the 2009 election season is already open for business.
Even Weiner’s own people could not resist taking potshots at this year’s pathetic race. An aide advised me to make it to Ferrer’s “victory” party at the Waldorf-Astoria, destined to be the loneliest place in town.
“There’ll be plenty of booze left,” the aide joked.
Get used to this face. Because Anthony Weiner represents the new persona of the Democratic Party: a white-ethnic moderate who -gasp! -has even managed to force Ferrer, kicking and screaming, to finally come out in favor of cutting taxes.
Yesterday, Weiner stood in front of Manhattan’s 13th Precinct station house, alongside Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch. (Translation: I’m a Dem, but I’m no wuss on crime!).
Weiner, a congressman from Queens, talked up a bill that would make it a crime to post personal information about cops and public officials on the Internet.
“Since I’ve targeted this effort, the [online] posting on me has become quite prodigious,” he boasted. (Translation: I’m a brave, Jewish boy!).
He made a point of complaining that the version of the bill that made it out of committee calls for mandatory minimum sentences to be imposed on those who violate the law. (Translation: Don’t worry, I’m still a liberal! But not too liberal.)
Among the many Democrats who waged quixotic mayoral campaigns against the popular Mike Bloomberg, only Weiner broke from the pack by daring to move baby steps from the far left.
But after a last-minute surge that put Weiner a breath away from forcing a runoff against Ferrer for the Democratic nomination, Weiner quit -even before all the votes were counted.
He decided he’d better bow out gracefully in favor of party unity instead of challenging the tally, which eventually put Ferrer over the 40 percent threshold to avoid runoff.
Today, Weiner was to be in Washington to vote with the House. He said he’d declined to skip voting in order to campaign with Ferrer, although he’ll be available tonight for the defeat party.
Now’s a good time as any to distance himself, I expect.
Get used to this face. You’ll be seeing this guy around.
apeyser@nypost.com