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I hadn't really thought this rift was so wide until the Times ran this piece saying that Mayor Bloomberg and Senator Gillibrand are basically not on speaking terms, and it's because he doesn't like her. Also, I've lost a little respect for Mayor Mike after learning that he backed Harold Ford. It's one thing not to like her, Mr. Mayor, but it's another thing to support a puppet.

It is more than a passing concern for Ms. Gillibrand, who is still working to win over New York voters, especially downstate. The mayor's top political advisers, with Mr. Bloomberg's tacit support, worked behind the scenes to assist her biggest potential Democratic rival, Harold E. Ford Jr., as he considered challenging her in the Democratic primary.

If that were not provocative enough, the mayor met with one possible Republican opponent, the billionaire Mortimer B. Zuckerman, to discuss his running, and his top political strategist sat down with another, Dan Senor, to talk about his potential campaign.

After Mr. Ford and Mr. Zuckerman decided not to run, Mr. Bloomberg -- as if to taunt Ms. Gillibrand -- declared that they both could probably have beaten her.

I realize he's the mayor, and a billionaire, but it sounds like someone's getting too big for his britches, as they say.