(CBS) NEW YORK -- New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leaving the Republican party and has announced he is currently unaffiliated with a political party.
The move will clearly begin advancing rumors that the mayor is gearing towards a presidential run, which he has denied in the past.
In a statement, however, Bloomberg indicated this doesn't change his plans for his political future.
"I have filed papers with the New York City Board of Elections to change my status as a voter and register as unaffiliated with any political party. Although my plans for the future haven’t changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our City."
He's right about not leading New York like a Republican.
I think this move by Bloomberg is a calculated attempt to generate media attention and stir up speculation and interest in him as a potential third party candidate. He wants the media to listen to what he has to say. He wants to be taken seriously.
This is bad news for the Dems.
Hillary and the Clinton political machine will have to start chugging away and prepare to take out Bloomberg.
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Yesterday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was in Mountain View, California at Google headquarters.
The New York Times details Bloomberg's remarks to the Googlites:
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, sounding every inch the presidential candidate he insists he is not, brought his message of pragmatic, nonpartisan leadership to California on Monday, telling a crowd of Google employees that the nation was “really in trouble.”
In unusually stark terms, Mr. Bloomberg expressed his frustration with the state of the nation, touching on campaign-style issues like the war in Iraq, immigration, education, health care and crime before a crowd of more than 1,000 employees at the Google campus here.
“Whoever out of those 20 becomes president I think has to do something about a country that I think is really in trouble,” Mr. Bloomberg said, referring to the current crop of candidates. “There’s the war, there is our relationships around the world.”
“Our reputation has been hurt very badly in the last few years,” he continued, criticizing what he called a “go-it-alone mentality” in an increasingly interconnected world.
The trip west comes as speculation about Mr. Bloomberg’s presidential ambitions has intensified, with his increasing travels around the country to speak about national issues, and with aides promoting the idea behind the scenes.
Mr. Bloomberg made his comments as a guest speaker at Google, technically as part of their series of authors, ostensibly because of his autobiography, “Bloomberg by Bloomberg,” which was published in 1997. But the notion of his making a third-party run at the White House was never far from the surface.
...In his remarks, he sounded much like a candidate for national office. He returned to a pet theme, criticizing the federal government for its immigration policies and what he sees as insufficient attention to rising costs of Social Security and health care.
Mr. Bloomberg also took a swipe at the presidential candidates of both parties, saying they were not offering serious ideas about improving public education or lowering street crime.
Arguing that people have a much greater chance of being killed by street crime than by a terror attack, he said: “Yet every press conference, they all beat their chests and say, ‘I can protect this country better from terrorism.’ Well, what about protecting them out in the streets every day?”
First, the content of Bloomberg's remarks--
He sounds like a Dem. He's not trying to appeal to conservatives. His position on immigration alone seals that deal.
Read his comments. Is it Bloomberg or is it Hillary or Obama or Edwards?
Second, Bloomberg's plans for the future--
Did Bloomberg choose the slobbering libs at Google headquarters to test his stump speech for the '08 presidential race?
Is Bloomberg going to be a third party candidate?
I'm sure egomaniac Bloomberg is entertaining the thought of a presidential run.
He doesn't have to worry about fundraising. He has a personal fortune of funds, a very deep well.
If Bloomberg did get in the race, which probably wouldn't happen until after the two major party tickets were lined up, I don't think it would be a problem for Republicans.
Yes, Bloomberg is technically a Republican, but he's a RINO. In fact, I wouldn't even go that far. How often does he cite his Republican affiliation?
This Times article, for example, NEVER uses the words "Republican" or "conservative."
Bloomberg wouldn't have the same impact on the race that Ross Perot did in 1992. Perot peeled away votes from President George H.W. Bush and gave the country Bill Clinton.
In 2008, I think a Bloomberg candidacy would actually help the Republicans.
The Dems should fear the prospect of a Bloomberg run. He's echoing their views, not those of conservatives.
Conservatives have no need to worry about Bloomberg. This wouldn't be 1992 all over again.
If the 2008 vote ends up being divided among three parties, Republicans would reap the benefits.
Bloomberg is definitely more Ralph Nader than he is Ross Perot.
Run Bloomberg. Run.
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