LOS ANGELES, June 19, 2007
Bloomberg Abandons Republican Party
NYC Mayor Changing Party Registration From Republican To Unaffiliated
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Play CBS Video Video NYC Cabs To Go Hybrid CBS News RAW: In an effort to go green, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that all of the city's yellow cabs will be hybrid vehicles by 2012.
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Video Gun Raffle In Virginia New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg came down strongly on a gun shop in Virginia that sells weapons illegally by deciding to sue. The gun shop denied the charges. Sharyn Alfonsi reports.
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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg speaks to Google workers at Google headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., Monday, June 18, 2007. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (AP)
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Most polls find Bloomberg drawing votes from Republicans.
"He could have a significant impact on the campaign," said independent pollster Scott Rasmussen. "Nationally there's a significant segment of the electorate that would give serious consideration to Bloomberg as a candidate."
Strategists say he could mount a third-party campaign by stressing that he is a two-term mayor in a Democratic city and that he built his reputation as a political independent, social moderate and fiscal conservative.
Throughout his 5 ½ years as mayor, Bloomberg has often been at odds with his party and Bush. He supports gay marriage, abortion rights, gun control and stem cell research, and raised property taxes to help solve a fiscal crisis after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
But he never seemed willing to part with the GOP completely, raising money for the 2004 presidential convention and contributing to Bush and other Republican candidates.
Just last year, he told a group of Manhattan Republicans about his run for mayor: "I couldn't be prouder to run on the Republican ticket and be a Republican."
On most occasions, Bloomberg has rolled his eyes at the suggestion that he might one day be a presidential contestant. But during a holiday party with City Hall staffers last December he performed a Bruce Springsteen rendition of "Born to Run."
Appearing Monday at Google Inc.'s California campus, Bloomberg teased questioners about a presidential bid, refusing to rule out the prospect but repeating that he plans to serve out his term through 2009. And he didn't debunk a report that he talked about an independent presidential bid with former Sen. David Boren, D-Okla.
Asked about a hypothetical independent candidate entering the race, Bloomberg launched a broad critique of the Bush administration and Congress and lamented the presidential debates to date.
"I think the country is in trouble," Bloomberg said, citing the war in Iraq and America's declining standing globally.
"Our reputation has been hurt very badly in the last few years," he said. "We've had a go-it-alone mentality in a world where, because of communications and transportation, you should be going exactly in the other direction."
His entry into the campaign would give the presidential contest a decidedly New York flavor, with Hillary Rodham Clinton, the New York senator on the Democratic side, and former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani on the Republican.
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
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See all 134 CommentsAs far as Bloomberg goes I'll take him at his word. He's by far too smart to get caught up in the current political shenanigans when he can acquire far more "political capital" playing both sides until the upcoming disasters shake out then come in as a "rescuer" in an upcoming "time of need".
George is playing out the scenario I heard predicted quite a while back by talk radio host Alex Jones. He's being deserted by his handlers and will more than likely be offered up for political sacrifice and vilification so another political pick can step in and "save the country". It just won't be Bloomberg THIS TIME although I wouldn't rule out the 2012 election.
Most high ranking corporate wealthy are LEAVING the country - supposedly getting vacation homes in interesting countries like Bahrain, Costa Rica and Paraguay. Meanwhile it's getting MUCH more difficult for average American Citizens to acquire passports and travel internationally.
It's a trend worth watching.
The documentation of this legacy is well-established and readily available: the "Patriot" Act, renditions and torture, Katrina, illegal wiretaps, illegal e-mail intercepts, endless wars based on lies, repeal of habeas corpus, stuffing the judiciary with Repug ideologue hacks in violation of the Hatch Act, failure to enforce immigration laws, a focus on helping only the most wealthy, and on, and on, and on....
I believe he is.
Posted by BobEBenson at 01:29 PM : Jun 20, 2007
I am afraid, Sir, that you greatly underestimate the GOP propoganda blame-generating machine.
What hasn't this administration blamed on Democrats. They have to continue with the "liberals are enemies" mantra. It works so well keeping inquiring minds off what the GOP is quietly doing to our political system, our government, and our way of life.
Posted by gunnerv1 at 02:43 PM : Jun 20, 2007
lol! Sour grapes!
That's funny!
Now please, go kill your daughter's unborn baby and sell it for stem cell research.
That way we'll be able to reduce the number of left wing morons in the country.
Hmmm... maybe of few right wing ones will go as well!
We need to elect a problem solver.
And the winner is ?????????
Haven't seen one yet. Oh well...
You have to have a major hunger within you to really run for President and I cannot bring myself to believe Bloomberg has that hunger.
Remember my words.
Please stop smoking crack before you become addicted. It can happen the very first time you smoke it. So be careful.
Posted by mike71067 at 10:15 AM : Jun 20, 2007
"President Bush said to all of us: 'I'm driven with a mission from God. God would tell me, "George, go and fight those terrorists in Afghanistan." And I did, and then God would tell me, "George, go and end the tyranny in Iraq %u2026" And I did. And now, again, I feel God's words coming to me, "Go get the Palestinians their state and get the Israelis their security, and get peace in the Middle East." And by God I'm gonna do it.'" www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/
stories/2005/10_october/06/
To me, this is all academic. For the past 6 years Bush and his neocon buddies have been laying the groundwork to take over the government at just the right time and declare a dictatorship. He said himself that if this were a dictatorship, he would be dictator. I'll be very surprised if there really is an election in 2008 and Bush leaves the Oval Office voluntarily.
SIG HEIL, BUSH!
To me, this is all academic. For the past 6 years Bush and his neocon buddies have been laying the groundwork to take over the government at just the right time and declare a dictatorship. He said himself that if this were a dictatorship, he would be dictator. I'll be very surprised if there really is an election in 2008 and Bush leaves the Oval Office voluntarily.
SIG HEIL, BUSH!
:) !
Yes, but when the reasons for change are suspect, that is no better.
No thanks, we don't want him, you Republicans keep him.
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