Unity Founders Head To Bloomberg Effort?

Two of the founding members of Unity '08 – a bipartisan group which was dedicated to fielding a national ticket comprising leaders of both mayor parties – have left the organization to perhaps join efforts to woo New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg as an independent candidate. Former Republican consultant Doug Bailey and former Carter White House communications director Jerry Rafshoon have left Unity '08. An open letter e-mailed to supporters stated that the group had "lost" the pair "to a committee forming to draft Mayor Bloomberg should the circumstances seem right." (The letter, posted on the Unity '08 Web site now says the two "have stepped down from the board and may have more to say about their plans in the near future). "We'll have something to say next week," Rafshoon tells the New York Daily News.

The future of Unity '08 is also tenuous, according to the letter, which cites a Federal Election Commission ruling for limiting their fund-raising ability. "And so reluctantly," the letter states, "especially given the volatility of the present situation, we're forced to scale back - not cease - our operations and suspend our ballot access project. Our website will become less interactive (it takes staff to answer hundreds of e-mails a day) and we can't in good faith make the $5 million commitment necessary to make a serious start on ballot access."

Meanwhile, the pressure is growing on Bloomberg to make a decision on a potential bid. For months, the mayor has denied interest in such a campaign while his aides and supporters have deliberately plotted one and shared such plans with the press. A front-page story in the New York Times greets the mayor this morning with the headline: "Calls Grow for Bloomberg to Make Up His Mind." From the story: "Mr. Bloomberg’s dalliance with the idea of running for president has stretched on and on, with his enthusiastic approval despite the public denials. But even before actually entering the contest, Mr. Bloomberg may have already risked losing something: people’s patience."