N.Y. Mayor’s Tannish Hue Pales in Comparison to Cry That Ensues

Talk of tan lines and skin tones intruded at a news briefing by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg on Wednesday, but the new mayor remained mum about a mysterious weekend getaway that has caused a media furor.

Bloomberg has been grilled for two days by the media after slipping out of the city without official word Friday and returning to winter-weary Manhattan on Monday, sporting a tan.

On Tuesday, the mayor refused to give details of his weekend break, insisting on his right to have a private life.

“It’s a fair statement to say that if I won’t discuss my personal life, then I won’t discuss the coverage of my personal life,” Bloomberg said.

The storm appeared at first to be a mild diversion for a city still recovering from the trauma of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. But it has been sharpened by New York’s $4.8-billion budget deficit, stemming in large part from the devastation in lower Manhattan.

Bloomberg’s aides raised questions about a picture of their boss on the front page of the Daily News, saying that Bloomberg looked much redder in the face than he does in reality, suggesting a printing error or a photo retouching.