NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) — Mayor Bill de Blasio took a ribbing from Comedy Central host Stephen Colbert about his planned trip to Italy while the threat of a possible Long Island Rail Road strike still loomed.
De Blasio made his first appearance on “The Colbert Report” on Wednesday night.
READ MORE: Wife Of Top Cuomo Aide Shows Support On Social Media For Governor's Latest Sexual Harassment AccuserDuring the show, de Blasio was noncommittal on whether he’d cancel his planned 10-day trip to Italy on Friday, saying he’s hopeful there’ll be a resolution avoiding a strike that could have come this weekend.
“The Long Island Rail Road is under the jurisdiction of Gov. Cuomo, he’s working very hard to come to a resolution, I’m hopeful there will be a resolution,” de Blasio told Colbert.
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“Not my problem! Not my problem!” joked Colbert. “Bring me the bowl! Bring me the bowl that Pontius Pilate may wash his hands!”
He quipped stranded riders would have to talk to his wife about whether they could crash at the Gracie Mansion mayoral residence.
Earlier this week, the mayor said he would “watch along the way and see how things develop,” but said he was confident the city could manage the potential strike effectively.
The mayor’s hopes were fulfilled Thursday as Cuomo, along with MTA Chairman Thomas Prendergast and the unions’ chief negotiator Anthony Simon, announced that a deal had been reached on a contract, averting a strike.
READ MORE: Little Staten Island Boy Who Battled Cancer Gets A Lift From Area Stop & Shops, And You, Too, Can HelpOther topics discussed in the lighthearted eight-minute interview included income inequality, stop-and-frisk and universal pre-K.
The mayor’s wife and their two children attended the show’s taping.
