Is there really a genuine reason why New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg had to get in front of the television cameras about Plaxico Burress' accidental gunshot incident?

He's let everyone have a mayoral tongue-lashing—Burress, the New York Giants front office, the National Football League, the hospital, the doctors and nurses that treated Burress' injury, the guy selling roasted nuts in front of City Hall—just about anyone within arm's reach.

Where were Bloomberg and his soap box when his Wall Street pals and cronies were shafting and bankrupting America with their bad mortgage-backed securities?

Bloomberg got in front of the TV cameras to score political brownie points. Nothing speaks louder to John Q. Citizen walking the mean city streets than the big, bad mayor standing up to one of the many out-of-control and spoiled athletes that all the denizens happen to adore.

Burress needs to be prosecuted "to the fullest extent of the law." Burress is "a sports hero." Burress is "both a public figure and a role model."

"If we don't prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law, I don't know who on Earth we would," Bloomberg said.

"It makes a sham, a mockery of the law. And it's pretty hard to argue the guy didn't have a gun and that it wasn't loaded. You've got bullet holes in and out to show that it was there."

Mayor, can we wait for all of the facts to come out before you speak your piece, less than 24 hours after the incident? A little more than 72 hours afterwards, we still don't know all the details.

What's wrong with doing the mayoral thing and calling for reason and for citizens to not hastily rush to judgment?

The New York Giants and the NFL are working with the proper authorities and conducting a fact-finding investigation. Meanwhile, the mayor's office is playing ringleader to the media circus (which of course, includes the mayor's very own Bloomberg media company).

Today, after a moment to reflect, he is not contrite at all. In fact, he's quoted as saying, "I don’t have nothing to apologize for. The law is the law."

The mayor is obviously right about that, and no one deserves special treatment. Still, Burress will have his day in court. This shouldn't be played out on television without all the facts.

Last I heard, people aren't formally tried in the court of public opinion.

Investigators need to do their jobs and not feel pressure from the mayor's office to draw conclusions as they investigate. This isn't just harmless tough-talk from Bloomberg; his verbosity could actually jeopardize the case against Burress.

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