Mike Bloomberg ... Recovering Republican

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced today he is leaving the Republican Party to become an Independent. Welcome to the light Mr. Bloomberg. This move will no doubt raise speculation that he is preparing to run for President as a third party candidate. "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," he said in a statement put out by his office. "Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have lead and will continue to lead our city."
Bloomberg is a self-made billionaire thanks, in large part, to the company he founded, Bloomberg L.P. It is estimated that he spent more than $100 million in his campaigns in New York and could invest millions into a potential candidacy if he decides to run for President.
Some would say Bloomberg has taken steps in recent weeks that he might run, including starting a Web site MikeBloomberg.com that suspiciously looks like a campaign site, that talks about his contributions as Mayor of New York City. He made a trip to New Hampshire last weekend and he still says he is not interested in the White House. Yeah right, Mike. The 65-year-old mayor will leave office in 2009 due to term limits. It is also rumored that some of Bloombergs own advisers have encouraged him to run as a candidate who could bridge the partisan divide.
Until 2001, Bloomberg was identified as a Democrat but he changed his party affiliation to run for mayor of New York. He won an extremely close race in November 2001, succeeding Rudolph Giuliani, now a Republican candidate for President, less than two months after the Sept. 11 attack on the World Trade Center. However, it is important to note Bloomberg won re-election with 58% of the vote in a heavily Democratic city in 2005. Bloomberg's election in 2001 marked the first time in New York City history that two Republicans had been elected mayor consecutively.
He is known for an emphasis on education reform and more liberal views on social issues, including his support of gay marriage. This issue alone puts him a bit left of most of the Democrats running for President in 2008. Bloomberg declined the mayor's salary, accepting $1.00 annually from the city. He is considered a social-liberal who is pro-choice, supportive of global warming initiatives and an advocate for stricter gun control laws. This is my kind of candidate, but the thing I like the most about Michael Bloomberg is I don't think he can be bought. That is to say, I think he has enough money so that no political lobby or special interest group could buy his allegiance. Finally, we would have a President who actually could stick by his campaign promises and maybe reunite this great country that is SO deeply divided.
In the statement Bloomberg released this morning, he said he is leaving the GOP simply because he felt partisanship wasn't important in governing New York.
"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," Bloomberg said. "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."
Mayor Bloomberg was in California appearing at a number of events, including a conference in Los Angeles called "Ceasefire! Bridging the Political Divide."
Bloomberg played coy when reporters asked him pointed questions about rumors that he might run for President.
"I have no plans to announce my candidacy, because I plan to be mayor for the next 926 days," he said.
I think Mr. Bloomberg would be an excellent candidate. I think that the political climate is right and an Independent, with endless resources, could win. I said earlier in the article that I like Bloomberg because he can't be bought. That's not the only reason I like him as a candidate. I think an Independent could heal some of the political wounds left by George W. Bush and Karl Rove. I find it ironic that President Bush ran in 2000 on a platform of "restoring integrity to the White House, and uniting the nation." Well bravo Mr. Bush, I think it is safe to say that you haven't accomplished either goal in your tenure as President and I am counting the days until you are gone.
The election in 2008 could be very interesting and if Mike Bloomberg is in the race, I will seriously consider giving him my vote.

There will be two quotes today because I couldn't decide which one was more fitting!

"I think if you know what you believe, it makes it a lot easier to answer questions. I can't answer your question." -- George W. Bush

"Well, I think if you say you're going to do something and don't do it, that's trustworthiness." -- George W. Bush