Bloomberg quits Republican party

Don't let the screendoor hit you in the butt RINO.

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_170181024.html

I doubt it seriously. Bloomberg didn't get rich by not being practical, and I think he doesn't wish to be a spoiler for the Dems. I think he will throw his weight behind the Dem nominee.

It Just Happened
6/19/07
6:14 PM
Mike Bloomberg's Declaration of Independence

This press release just in, and we no longer have any doubt that the dude is running for president:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 19, 2007
No. 205
www.nyc.gov

STATEMENT BY MAYOR BLOOMBERG ON PARTY AFFILIATION

"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.

"A nonpartisan approach has worked wonders in New York: we've balanced budgets, grown our economy, improved public health, reformed the school system and made the nation's safest city even safer.

"We have achieved real progress by overcoming the partisanship that too often puts narrow interests above the common good. As a political independent, I will continue to work with those in all political parties to find common ground, to put partisanship aside and to achieve real solutions to the challenges we face.

"Any successful elected executive knows that real results are more important than partisan battles and that good ideas should take precedence over rigid adherence to any particular political ideology. Working together, there's no limit to what we can do."

-30-

Contact: Stu Loeser (212) 788-XXXX

His American Dream
The Bloomberg-for-president scenario starts with the mayor's growing sense of himself as a man of destiny. Throw in the country's disgust with the two parties, add a half-a-billion bucks, and you've got yourself a race.

* By John Heilemann

One day last July, Al From received an unexpected call from Michael Steinhardt. From is the founder and CEO of the Democratic Leadership Council, the centrist outfit in Washington that helped propel Bill Clinton into the White House; Steinhardt is the once-hellacious hedge-fund manager turned philanthropist whose name now graces the School of Education at NYU, a former chairman of the DLC, and a friend for decades of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. When From picked up the phone, Steinhardt greeted him thus: "How'd you like to come to New York and have dinner with the next president of the United States?"

From replied, teasingly, "I didn't realize you're so friendly with Hillary Clinton."

The genesis of Steinhardt's call was a conversation with New York City schools chancellor Joel Klein. Klein said that "Bloomberg was preoccupied?-no, that's too strong a word?-that he was really focused on whether he should run for president," Steinhardt recalls. Steinhardt reminded Klein of his association with the DLC and told him that if Bloomberg wanted to meet From "to get some perspective about the realities of running for national office," he would happily arrange it. Fifteen minutes later, Klein called back and said that Bloomberg certainly did.

Soon enough, From found himself having supper at Steinhardt's apartment on the Upper East Side with Bloomberg and his senior political adjutants: deputy mayors Patti Harris, Kevin Sheekey, and Ed Skyler. For the next couple of hours, From laid out his analysis of the political landscape and his views on the viability of an independent candidacy. He discussed DLC poll data concerning the alienation of voters from the two major parties. But he also argued that any mayor?-and especially a mayor of New York?-would face an uphill slog. Bloomberg listened closely but asked few questions, preferring to hold forth (at great length) about his record as mayor. Regarding his national aspirations, he adopted a posture of self-protective self-deprecation. "What chance does a five-foot-seven billionaire Jew who's divorced really have of becoming president?" he asked.