(Photo: Patrick McMullan)

Brooklyn borough president Marty Markowitz and Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer have certain things in common beyond their semi-ceremonial gigs: They also both have pet gray African parrots. “The smartest creatures,” Markowitz said last week from Jamaica, where he’s on vacation. “But our bird”—he’s named Beep—“it’s smarter.” Lately, supporters of Stringer, who’s planning on running for public advocate, have been worried that Markowitz has that in common with him, too. Their evidence? If Markowitz was really going to run for mayor, which is what he was supposed to be gunning for, why doesn’t he have any fund-raisers planned? And right now, he has only $1 million in the bank—millions less than potential Democratic rivals. But Markowitz says public advocate isn’t on his agenda. “I don’t have the personality for it,” he said. “That job, you need a muckraker.” As for mayor, “I’m thinking about it more seriously than ever before,” he said. What would Beep say about a mayoral run? “He’d either say yes or fuhgeddaboudit,” Markowitz said. “He might just say fuhgeddaboudit.” Otis, Stringer’s bird, talks, too. What’s he trained to say? “Vote for Scott.”

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• Archive: “Intelligencer”
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• Table of Contents: Feb 4, 2008 issue of New York | Subscribe!