Mike pooh-poohs Games doubters

By MICHAEL SAUL
DAILY NEWS CITY HALL BUREAU

Declaring New York has a "decent" chance of winning the 2012 Olympic Games, Mayor Bloomberg chided top state officials yesterday for voicing a lack of confidence in the city's bid.

"The defeatism here of not going out and trying! Let's all get together," said Bloomberg, who added he believed New York was at least tied with perceived front-runners Paris and London.

"When did New York walk away from taking shots and trying to get things?" an incredulous Bloomberg asked. "Think about what society we're changing into here. We're giving up before we even start?"

Bloomberg's remarks came in response to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and state Controller Alan Hevesi publicly describing New York's Olympic bid as a longshot - an assessment bid committee officials call inaccurate and unhelpful.

Yesterday, as expected, Silver (D-Manhattan) asked the governor's office to postpone tomorrow's vote on the proposed West Side stadium until after June 2, when a judge is expected to rule on various legal challenges facing the project.

It marked the second time in one week that a top lawmaker has sought to delay the vote on the stadium, which is the centerpiece of the city's bid. Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno (R-Rensselaer) requested a delay last week.

The stadium, which also would housethe Jets, must be approved by the Public Authorities Control Board, a state panel controlled by Silver, Bruno and Gov. Pataki.

With Silver and Bruno each exercising his authority to delay the vote once, Pataki now has the power to force a vote.

A Pataki spokesman said no decision had been made on when to reschedule the vote.

Meanwhile, the mayor and bid committee officials spent the day trying to rally state officials behind the plan.

Bloomberg said he's talked to roughly half the 115 members of the International Olympic Committee and he believes "we are certainly tied with London and Paris."

"For all I know, we're ahead," Bloomberg said. "There's no way to tell."

The International Olympic Committee will select the 2012 host city by secret ballot during a meeting in Singapore July 6. The other finalist cities are Madrid and Moscow.