"Mayor Bloomberg's failure to work with labor unions and drop cooperation in favor of name-calling and vitriol has been harmful to our city, " Mr. Thompson said.

WSJ: Mayor's Final Budget Is Aided by Economy

And don't forget, this also comes on the heels of this summer's failure of the global trade talks, so the concern is that cooperation may be slower, which opens the door for trade and other tensions to go up.

NPR: Marketplace Report: Wolfowitz's Anti-Corruption Plan