Maybe you can’t fight City Hall, but you can bite it.
Staten Island groundhog Charles G. Hogg sunk his teeth into Mayor Bloomberg’s left hand yesterday, drawing blood instead of predictions about the weather.
It’s unclear if the rodent snapped at the mayor to express his opposition to possible bud get cuts at the Staten Island Zoo, or if he merely was star tled by the sight of a bil lionaire awkwardly extending him an ear of corn and repeat edly reaching into his cage.
PHOTOS: GROUNDHOG PREDICTS SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER
With teeth-baring Democrats Rep. Anthony Weiner and Comptroller Bill Thompson challenging Bloomberg for mayor, the hog isn’t the only one who’s taken a chunk out of Hizzoner lately.
But Staten Island Chuck is the first to wound the seemingly unstoppable mayor.
Bloomberg concealed the pain in his left index finger, and consummate professionals that they both are, he and Staten Island Chuck pulled it together long enough for the rodent to proclaim an early spring.
New Yorkers can take comfort that their “mayor is willing to put himself and his physical well-being in harm’s way to protect them,” Bloomberg told reporters at a City Hall press conference later.
“Given the heightened response against terrorism – and clearly in this case a terrorist rodent that could very well have been trained by al Qaeda in Afghanistan – I’m not at liberty to say anything more than that,” Bloomberg joked.
The annual ceremony went awry when Bloomberg tried to coax Chuck out of his house with the corn, and the critter instead snatched the food and retreated back inside.
As the rodent noshed on his treat, the mayor reached inside and attempted to extract the corn.
Weiner and Thompson should take notes: Unlike most Bloomberg opponents, Chuck was not impressed by the mayor’s patented brand of tough love.
The groundhog retrieved what he felt was now rightly his and retreated once more into his home. The mayor recoiled his gloved hand several times and clenched his fist after each nip, as the cycle repeated itself.
Finally, after four or five attempts, Bloomberg was able to lure his nemesis outside, and pin him down long enough to get the upper hand.
In ancient mythology, animal bites were seen as bad omens. What this means for the future is unclear.
What’s not in doubt is what happened next.
Chuck confidently predicted the early arrival of spring, although his famous Pennsylvania counterpart, Punxsutawney Phil, arrived at a different conclusion.
Bloomberg said Chuck had better be right. “If Chuck embarrasses us, this is going to be a very long winter for the Staten Island Zoo,” he said.
One thing is for sure: It was a Groundhog Day Bloomberg hopes he doesn’t have to repeat when he wakes up today.