| February 28, 2008 Mayor Bloomberg to stay out of presidential race
|
NEW YORK (AP) - Mayor Michael Bloomberg has squashed the notion
of running for president this year, declaring that he will not seek
the White House but might put his support behind another candidate
who embraces bipartisan governing.
Apparently ending a dance of presidential speculation that began
more than two years ago, the 66-year-old billionaire businessman
said in an op-ed piece in Thursday's New York Times that he will
not launch his own bid but will work to "steer the national
conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from
ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward
substance."
"I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I
am not - and will not be - a candidate for president," he wrote.
"I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the
current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly
independent leadership."
Bloomberg aides and associates had been assembling the framework
for an independent campaign, and if he had decided to run, a $1
billion operation would have been ready to go. Instead, Bloomberg
hinted that he may lend his wealth and weight to someone else.
"If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach -
and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy -
I'll join others in helping that candidate win the White House," />
he wrote.
A close Bloomberg associate told The Associated Press that the
mayor had been wrestling with a decision until very recently,
reaching a conclusion only in the last few days.
Several factors influenced him, according to the associate, who
requested anonymity to discuss internal decisions. One of
Bloomberg's main reasons for staying out is that he believes the
presidential race has the potential to become a centrist contest,
primarily because of the rise of Democrat Barack Obama and
Republican John McCain, both of whom have championed
bipartisanship.
Centrist leadership would have been Bloomberg's chief selling
point as a presidential candidate, and it was looking less likely
that he would have been able to stand apart from the most likely
major party candidates, the associate said.
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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