January 15, 2008

Unity '08 Goes Public With Bloomberg Intentions

Leaders of a group that was trying to build a bipartisan presidential ticket are abandoning that effort and cutting to the chase, announcing this morning that they are forming a "Draft Bloomberg" committee.

Republican Doug Bailey, founder of Hotline and once a campaign consultant to Gerald Ford, and Democrat Gerald Rafshoon, a top adviser to Jimmy Carter, will see if they can get New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to do what others have failed to do so far: show his hand.

"I've always assumed that if he really doesn't want to run, he can make that crystal clear to everybody and stop everything that is going on formally and informally on his behalf," Bailey said. "He hasn't done that to us or anybody else as far as I can see."

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Posted at 10:00 AM
Posted to: Campaigns, Michael Bloomberg, WH 2008
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June 20, 2007

Bloomberg Drops The 'R'

UPDATED.

Michael Bloomberg quit the Republican Party yesterday, fueling speculation that the New York City mayor is considering a run at the White House as an independent.

"I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead," Bloomberg said in a statement.

In a news conference today on city business, he strongly denied interest in a White House bid, pledging to fill out his term as mayor through 2009.

But this latest change in party affiliation -- Bloomberg quit the Democratic Party in 2001 to avoid a crowded mayoral primary field -- is another in a series of hints at a possible presidential bid. His busy out-of-state travel schedule (including a trip to New Hampshire last weekend), comments by Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska (another Republican who some say wants to leave the party) about a possible Bloomberg-Hagel ticket, and speeches focusing on national issues have fed the rumors that he could run.

Yesterday's announcement came shortly after Bloomberg appeared with centrist Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif., at a Hollywood forum on "bridging the political divide." "We need Washington to begin taking the same nonpartisan results-oriented approach that is succeeding in cities and states," Bloomberg said in his speech.

Photo: Spencer Tucker

Posted at 2:00 PM
Posted to: Campaigns, Michael Bloomberg, WH 2008
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