Former New York City Mayor Ed Koch recently endorsed Republican Bob Turner in the special election for Anthony Weiner's old congressional seat, helping him pull off the upset against Democrat Dave Weprin. Koch, who supported Obama in 2008, wanted to punish the Democratic party over "President Obama's open hostility to the State of Israel." But that was all a few weeks ago! He's now changed his mind and endorsed Obama, after being invited to a fancy party.

Koch released a statement today that, for the most part, is a party report with several off-topic detours along the way:

I attended the gathering of United Nations delegates at the New York Public Library held by President Barack Obama and Mrs. Obama. The New York Public Library is one of the most spectacular public buildings in New York City. Many of its ornate rooms, rivaling in their own American way, the dazzling gold-finished galleries at Versailles, the residence of Louis XIV outside of Paris, were restored with the personal fortune of Brooke Astor who lived until the age of 105.

I first met Mrs. Astor shortly after I became Mayor in 1978. A ceremony had been scheduled...

Skipping through several more paragraphs of stories about cocktail parties and zoo trips with the Astors in the '70s, he gets to the point: This Obama party was fun! Sure, he can win a second term now:

I believe the recent vote in the 9th Congressional District in New York affected in a positive way the policy of the U.S. on the Mideast. The New York Times of September 26 reported, "On Friday, the United States, the United Nations, Russia and the European Union – known together as the Quartet – urged the Palestinians and the Israelis to return to direct negotiations within a month without preconditions. Since this is close to Israel's position, leaders there welcomed the plan."

The President should be praised for intervening with the Egyptian army to save the Israeli diplomatic personnel from physical assault and providing the Israeli military with bunker buster bombs, advanced military technology and providing military intelligence cooperation far exceeding his predecessors. I'm now on board the Obama Reelection Express.

So he's claiming credit, via his endorsement of one ultimately successful congressman, for getting the administration to turn against the Palestine statehood bid in the United Nations... even though the administration never intended to support it. What a champion for the public!

[Image via AP]