Comments on: Bloomberg: I'm Not Running For President

NYC's Billionaire Mayor Says He May Support Candidate Who Takes "Nonpartisan Approach"

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On Monday, February 25, the national headquarters of the United Church of Christ, Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama''s church, received a letter from the IRS questioning whether the church "has engaged in political activities that could jeopardize its tax-exempt status." They were given 15 days to respond.

The IRS is scrutinizing specifically an address given by Barack Obama last June. Church leaders appear confident that all rules for tax-exempt groups were met, and they clearly address the issues in a post to their website February 26. If they''re correct, then does the IRS probe constitute harassment and a Bush administration breach of First Amendment rights?

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The Rev. John H. Thomas, the UCC''s general minister and president, called the investigation "disturbing" but said the investigation would reveal that the church did nothing improper or illegal.

Obama, an active member of the United Church of Christ for more than 20 years, addressed the UCC''s 50th anniversary General Synod in Hartford, Conn., on June 23, 2007, as one of 60 diverse speakers representing the arts, media, academia, science, technology, business and government. Each was asked to reflect on the intersection of their faith and their respective vocations or fields of expertise. The invitation to Obama was extended a year before he became a Democratic presidential candidate.

"The United Church of Christ took great care to ensure that Senator Obama''s appearance before the 50th anniversary General Synod met appropriate legal and moral standards," Thomas told United Church News. "We are confident that the IRS investigation will confirm that no laws were violated."

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Obama''s General Synod speech prompts IRS to investigate UCC''s tax-exempt status

The Bush administration is famous for embracing select religious causes, blurring the line between church and state and catering to the religious right wing that helped them win office in 2000 and 2004. The Terri Schiavo circus in Washington was just one of many examples of that shameful political strategy.
Furthermore, the Bush administration also has pushed the envelope of executive power when it comes to meddling in all kinds of government departments to gain a political edge -- in the Department of Justice, with political tainting of the US attorney appointments, for instance, and with top-down interference in scientific reports from NASA -- basically, giving departments under White House influence a mandate to further political goals at the cost of neutrality.

As McCain would say, this is what we are up against my friends.

[reel-crazy]

I know I am going to lose a lot of sleep over some rich trouser stain not entering the race.

This isn''t even remotely news...

[gronamox-2009]

Who gives a rats *** about Bloomberg. Because he''s rich that supposedly qualifies him for President? Being a Jew doesn''t really matter, only if you are running for office in Saudi Arabia, then it is tough. This is like the rumor that Al Gore will rise up at the convention and intone: "I''m ready to serve." At which point the Nobel Committee will demand his half of the award back, because it can''t be given to someone in a total delusional state. Saying there is global warming is an okay delusion, but thinking anybody still wants you after your Lockbox speeches and the 80 weight gain is far too gone even for them. I always wondered why they don''t give a yearly award for best explosive. Napalm would have been a big winner, followed by bunker buster, and then my favorite, the IED.

[darrren12000]

this is just noise....who cares? and a nonpartisan candidate? what is that? obama, clinton and mccain are running for their parties. any talk of nonpartisanship is just rubbish.

[grazinggoat]

Mikhael Bloomberg wears his tie too tight, preventing blood from flowing into his brain. Maybe he should loosen it a bit so he may re-consider running... he would be another ralph nader... please one of his aides, help him out!

-Yaawwwwwwwn !

[jesterbelle]

''''You obviously don''''''''t know the history of this country well as it was the Republicans that were most supporti ve of civil rights in this country . . . not the democrats.

Posted by joule3 at 11:53 PM''''
You obviously don''t history if you think the civil war was a fight to free the slaves.Slavery was a side issue.Lincoln,a republican,enacted the emancipation during the war in the hope that slaves in the south would rebel.It was done in the hope that the confederacy would have to deploy troops to fight them,thereby taking some of the pressure off the union army,which,at the time,was losing.

[jimfinster]

yawwwwwn

[eddynewhope]

Bloomberg would have run had Hillary won the nomination. He said as much. The strategy: with McCain on the right, and the polarizing Hillary on the left, Bloomberg was aiming for the middle 60% and I wouldn''t have been surprised if he won.

[harp1963]

Who cares? No one outside of New York knows who you are anyway. You wanna feel like a regular guy Bloomberg? Put on some jeans and a sweat shirt and go walk around Cleveland for a day. Nobody will know who you are.

[l8c6]

The right wing divisive neo cons want to take an independent non-partisan approach now that the decades they have spent dividing the american people for their self serving profiteering appears to be on the blink.

[l8c6]

The right wing divisive neo cons want to take an independent non-partisan approach now that the decades they have spent dividing the american people for their self serving profiteering appears to be on the blink.

[libra127]

"If Hillary had won the nomination, he may very well have run."
Posted by ontheleft at 10:59 PM : Feb 27, 2008

And you know this how ?

[ontheleft]

If Hillary had won the nomination, he may very well have run. The chances of a viable third party candidate were greatest if it were Hillary vs. McCain.

Now let''s wait and see if a conservative steps up to run a third party campaign. It could very well happen because a lot of conservatives are unhappy with McCain as the Republican nominee. That would take votes away from him. What a shame.

[bm6005]

Too bad. He''s better than any of the dipsticks running now and much, much better than GW Dipwad!!

[goldesprit]

NEWS FLASH:

I too have decided not to run for President, at this time.