NYC's Billionaire Mayor Eyes White House

Bipartisan Summit On Third-Party Candidates Fuels Michael Bloomberg Buzz

(CBS/AP)  New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and other potential independent presidential candidates are joining prominent Republican and Democratic centrists at a meeting that will consider the merits of a third-party bid for the White House.

The Jan. 7 event was organized by former Democratic senators David Boren and Sam Nunn, and about a dozen prominent figures are expected to participate, including Bloomberg, former Republican senator John Danforth of Missouri and Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., each of whom has been mentioned as a possible independent candidate.

Plans for the meeting were first reported by The Washington Post.

Boren said the meeting will serve as a form of "shock therapy" to the major-party candidates to stop bickering and provide Americans with a blueprint for bipartisanship in Washington. The event will be at the Norman campus of the University of Oklahoma, where he is president.

"We used to work together across party lines and we used to cooperate with each other," Boren said of his relationships with current and former senators who plan to attend. "It is a message to the two parties: Please rise to the occasion. If you don't, there is always a possibility out there of an independent."

In an interview with the New York Times, Boren suggested that if the prospective major party nominees failed within two months to formally embrace bipartisanship and address the fundamental challenges facing the nation, "I would be among those who would urge Mr. Bloomberg to very seriously consider running for president as an independent."

Bloomberg's spokesman Stu Loeser told the New York Post that "[Bloomberg] is going [to Oklahoma] because he has seen again and again as mayor how hyper-partisanship in Washington isn't just getting in the way of big reforms, it's getting in the way of any meaningful progress on a whole host of issues."

"He's looking forward to the opportunity to sit down with like-minded leaders to try and find solutions," Loeser added.

The meeting comes one day before the New Hampshire primary.

"We need statesmanship, not politics," Boren said. "The meeting in itself implies there could be other possibilities" than a two-party contest.

A Dec. 18 letter from Boren and Nunn to participants asserts that the political system is "at the least, badly bent and many are concluding that it is broken at a time where America must lead boldly at home and abroad. Partisan polarization is preventing us from uniting to meet the challenges that we must face if we are to prevent further erosion of America's power of leadership and example."

"As the letter says, we've literally become a house divided," Boren said. "We really need a government of national unity."

Bloomberg, once a Democrat, then a Republican and now an independent, has denied any interest in running for the presidency even while keeping speculation alive that he might.

"Despite public statements that he has no plans to run as an Independent candidate for president, his staff has laid out exact plans for the press on many occasions," reports CBSNews.com senior political editor Vaughn Ververs. "A billionaire businessman who has in the past indicated his future lies in philanthropy could easily spend that money on a campaign instead." (read more in Horserace)

Like the meeting's organizers, the mayor has criticized the tone of the campaign as one of overbearing partisanship. He said last month the country "needs somebody that says, 'I'm going to get the best from both parties.'"

Boren said some of the presidential candidates want to embrace a bipartisan platform but fear being attacked politically if they do so. "Many of the major issues are just not being addressed," he said.

[itchyb-2009]

After the ''08 elections, the "gridlock" will be over. No more vetoes from the moron-in-chief. There have been many bipartisan bills which bush has vetoed or had his minions in the senate and house kill. The idea of a third party with Bloomie at the lead is a smoke screen, and a dangerous one at that. Let the democrats roll in the next election, and get things done. Finally

[stick130]

When the Republican Mayor of N.Y.runs as a 3rd party candidate,that will give the Republicons a way to spin the results after they take the biggest "WHOOPIN" in the history of the USA. They thought the last election was bad? I believe it will take the Cons'' 50 years to make a comeback,thanks to the "IdiotBoy" in the White House that has embarrassed all Americans .We are not much better or we would be picketing the Congress and Senate until they grow a spine or resign, untill they learn what the Constitution is.

[fairandbal]

Let me see if i get this correct...
- Bush reelected in 2004 by slimmest margin ever for a relected president and GOP (along with the MSM) screams "WE HAVE A SWEEPING MANDATE TO DO WHATEVER WE WANT!!!". Dems are not even allowed in congressional discussions of policy, NO ONE on the GOP side objects.
- Carl Rove declares a permanent Republican majority.
- Dems win in 2006 by basically a landslide and GOP SCREAMS it was really a conservative victory.
- Dems set to win big again in 2008 and the GOP and MSM are screaming for ''bipartisanship''.

Give me a break. The GOP and their friends only want dictatorships when their in power, but we MUST have bipartisanship when they''re not. This is a scam folks, don''t buy it!!!

[mediacreedia]

Who is this guy? What does he represent? What are his credential? Mayor of New York? Supported by Giuliani? What the heck is up? Why is he running? There are reasons.

[creeper00]

Oh...so NOW we''re supposed to "embrace bipartisanship", huh? After eight years of Dictator Bush dragging us over the right side of the cliff we''re now supposed to meet them halfway?

Scr@w that.

[excoachken]

Isn''t that just like your average billionaire, whenever a "one of a kind" thing is up for sale (like our Presidency) they are the first to get in line to buy it!

[jsilver2th]

I''m sure all of his lackeys swoon and lick boots all day telling him whatever he wants to hear... with money like that you live in your own little dream world enabled by syncophants droolling after your mighty dollars:

Earth to Bloomberg: Nobody oustide of Manhattan gives a tinker...

[cbs_oliver]

""We need statesmanship, not politics," Boren said."

Boran has got it perfectly wrong.

We need more politics and less "statesmanship".

I am not interested in an elitist candidate or leader seeking to sort things out with other elitists in back room meetings.

We''ve had enough of that.

Straight up public politics is what we need for a change.

[rowdytexan2]

Neocons trying to split the vote, folks. Oldest trick int he book.

[standlee5]

Bloomberg is a globalist and a corporate tool. Who needs a billionaire president.

[standlee5]

What a coward junmping in at the last minute like some kind of great white hope. We don''t need Bloomberg there are plenty of wqualified candidates. He''s a spoiler it''s just not clear who campaign he''s trying to derail. Don''t like him never will.

[tylenol6]

Speaking of Chuck Nagel of Nebraska, I heard he won his
seat twice because he bought up all the voting machines
in Nebraska. What a SCUM BUCKET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tylenol6]

Who in the world is going to vote for a billionaire to
be the next president???? Duh..... Besides, Bloomberg
is a CFR NEW WORLD ORDER SCUM.....BEWARE!!!!!!

[omega39-2009]

NYC''s Billionaire Mayor Eyes White House

And the way Bush and Cheney are selling off America''s assets, he could buy it for a song.

[fairandbal]

Makes me sick. The GOP finally talks bi-partisanship and ''working together'' ONLY when they are about to get trounced in a major election. Where was this c-r-a-p from the R senators a year ago or in 2004 when Bush and Rove were calling for a permanent GOP majority and trouncing all over the constitution and our country''s pocketbook?
This smacks of someone wanting to save from getting caught in a landslide, nothing more!!!

[apolloknowsa]

Those of us in the rest of the country couldn''t care less about New York City. I realize that the media in the city would find that blasphemous, but, really, I couldn''t care less about the guy. no chance. He''s a democrat, no wait, I''m a republican, no, wait an independent, no, wait, what was I last week?

[hungry1968]

No kidding. Another Monied Self-absorbed arse who surely thinks of himself above OUR Nation.

Posted by FloydZepp at 04:35 PM : Dec 31, 2007



Floyd - Bloomberg is the man!! Please take a look at his record AND his approval rating in NYC.

http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x1302.xml?ReleaseID=1065

NYC residents are tough, and they don''t give their politicians an inch.

[hungry1968]

In America, money can buy you anything. Might as well hand the keys to the White House to Bloomberg now. No one can compete with a billionaire.

Posted by savdavid at 03:43 PM : Dec 31, 2007



No current presidential candidates political record can compete with Bloomberg''s record either.

[usakousagi]

What exactly are Ron Paul''s stands? I can''t seem to find them anywhere other than supporters...

[marcodele]

Bloomberg couldn''t win as a third party candidate, only as a partisan candidate.

But isn''t it nice to have so much money you can run for president just for the fun of it? Just ask George.