The art and culture that is New York, communications, finance, all these things help make up New York. The rest of the country should be happy that we are what we are.

There is no point in me worrying about what Bloomberg or Badillo will do.

I haven't committed a crime. What I did was fail to comply with the law.

I went downtown as a lawyer and then I worked in a liquor store at night, as I had done all through law school. And so when I got to the point where I could give up the night job, I joined the political club.

So it's a mistake for someone to think that they bailed New York out. They did assist us, for which we are grateful, but it's a mistake to say we bailed New York out by giving them a grant of money to help those poor people who throw it away on welfare.

You can be anything you want to be. You can be a street sweeper, if you want. Just be the best blasted street sweeper you can be . . . And, you know you can be mayor.

I went to Israel when the missiles were falling there.