Bloomberg Feeling A Draft?

Bloomberg Feeling A Draft?

January 15, 2008

Leaders of a group that was trying to build a bipartisan presidential ticket are abandoning that effort and cutting to the chase, announcing this morning that they are forming a “Draft Bloomberg” committee. Republican Doug Bailey, once an campaign consultant to Gerald Ford (and founder of the National Journal’s ‘Hotline”) and Democrat Gerald Rafshoon, a top advisor to then-President Jimmy Carter, will see if they can get New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to do what others failed to do so far: Show his hand.

Said Bailey: “I’ve always assumed that if he really doesn’t want to run, he can make that crystal clear to everybody and stop everything that is going on formally and informally on his behalf. He hasn’t done that to us or anybody else as far as I can see.”

Bailey says he and Rafshoon have not talked to Bloomberg about their effort….yet. They plan to start raising money, start an online petition drive and, said Bailey, “see where it goes.

Bailey and Rafshoon stepped away from their grassroots organization, Unity 08, after the Federal Elections Commission placed restrictions on how much individuals could contribute to the effort. The group was trying to gain access to ballot in all 50 states, an expensive proposition. They had planned to stage a virtual online convention in June, at which delegates would choose a presidential and vice presidential nominee of different parties. One could be an independent. Unity 08 held several briefings for Bloomberg’s aides explaining how the process would work, and Rafshoon and Bailey made it clear they were hoping Bloomberg, a billionare, would sign on to the bipartisan campaign . Bailey says the FEC ruling dashed the hope that the organization could raise enough money to be viable.

Once the mission of Unity 08 appeared impossible, Bailey and Rafshoon decided to start aggressively leaning on Bloomberg. “He represents a unique solution to our problems. We will do everything we can to convince him to run.” The Draft Bloomberg campaign will call for Bloomberg to run as an independent.

(NJ Contributing Editor Linda Douglass)