Does This Portrait Make Bloomberg Look 'Like a Soviet Dictator'? The New York Post Seems to Think So

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to reporters outside the West Wing of the White House after a meeting on February 27, 2013 in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images)

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has grown increasingly bold in his "nanny" style restrictions in recent years, tackling everything from soda to prescription medicine to breast milk.

But at an appearance for the re-opening of a Fairway supermarket damaged by Hurricane Sandy Friday, some are saying he was presented a gift that makes him look more like a dictator than a nanny.

Here's the picture, via the Twitter account of a Cairns New York reporter:

(Photo: Twitter/‏@andyjayhawk)

The New York Post is strongly pushing the comparison:

At least there weren’t bread lines.

Mayor Bloomberg celebrated the reopening of Red Hook’s Fairway supermarket yesterday — and was presented with a spray-painted portrait that made him look more like a Soviet dictator than the leader of a First World city.

The artwork — painted by the store’s in-house artist, Floyd Simmons — shows a squinting Bloomberg gazing off in the distance with a strong, square jaw.

Fairway CEO Howard Glickberg proudly presented the painting to Hizzoner at the end of a ceremony marking the Brooklyn store’s grand reopening after it was devastated by Hurricane Sandy.

“Floyd’s a very talented artist,” Glickberg explained.

The mayor — who considered the piece with a thoughtful gaze — also said he liked it.

“He really appreciated the gift and the work that went into making it,” said Marc LaVorgna, the mayor’s spokesman. [Emphasis added]

(Photo: Twitter/@nypost)

The New York Post also quoted someone as referring to the mayor as "Comrade Bloomy" in their title.

They likely had a picture like this in mind when making the comparison:

Russian Communists hold up a portrait of Soviet dictator Josef Stalin. (Photo: AP)

Do you think the resemblance is overblown and unintentional?  Or is the Post right about the artistic similarities?

You can watch the grand unveiling (and Bloomberg's reaction) at around 16:10 in the video below.

"Eat your heart out Schumer," Bloomberg joked, turning to Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who did not receive a portrait of his own.

(H/T: WeaselZippers)

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