The Governor's surprisingly upbeat remarks, issued in a four-page statement, contrasted dramatically with the otherwise sluggish mood in the State Capitol.
This is America and we are New York!" (The exclamation points were included in the text of his remarks issued by his office).
Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, was the first to seize on the president's remarks, issuing a statement condemning them even before Mr. Obama stood before the lectern, a half-hour late.
And he had been bewildered and angry the previous year, when Nasser had placed him on a political black list for critical remarks issued by the North American branch of the Arab Students Associationn, which Saad Eddin headed.
His remarks, issued in advance of a speech on devolution in Edinburgh later on Monday, will put pressure on Labour and the Tories to flesh out Scotland's options if its voters reject independence in September.
The remarks, issued in support of a lawsuit brought against the city in January by several disability rights groups, amounted to a strongly worded criticism of the Taxi and Limousine Commission, which has struggled to find ways to accommodate travelers who use wheelchairs.
"Well, if he's such a student of history, has he not understood that you know that's the one thing you don't do, is engage in a land war in Afghanistan?" Mr. Steele, seeking to clarify his remarks, issued a statement on Friday afternoon, saying, "There is no question that America must win the war on terror".
The pontiff's remarks, issued to the 190 bishops and Catholic leaders who have descended on Rome, set a notably firm tone for the beginning of the four-day meeting — the highest-profile test to date of whether the Roman Catholic Church is equipped to deal with its central crisis.
Johnson – in contrast to the bland remarks issued by May – waxed lyrical about Trump's election, saying it was time to be "overwhelmingly positive about the possibilities" of a Trump presidency and describing the US president-elect as a "deal maker".
