The vibe I got from it was a guy who was proud of his city. And that is a good thing.
I don't know, or care, what DeNiro's politics are. What I do know is that he is a fine actor. Apparently New York is to him what Athens was to Socretes. Who can fault him for that?
To tell you the truth, DeNiro hasn't made a good movie in quite a long time...his newest one is getting horrible reviews (The thriller with Dakota Fanning). He's getting a reputation of being a hack. Taking movies just for the money. NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT! Just name the last good movie DeNiro was in. He is a good actor, that's not in question.
Most ads are generally bankrupt anyway, trying to link emotions to their brand name. American Express trying to cash in (promote it's image) by linking itself to 9/11 through the financial genius of a Movie actor (sarcasm)... well if you think about it for a nanosecond, it's all vapor.