I’m Not Running for President, but ...

Opinion

OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

I’m Not Running for President, but ...
By MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG
Published: February 28, 2008

WATCHING the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates — smart, all of them — must know better. They must know we can’t fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade. They must know that we can’t fix our immigration problems with border security alone. They must know that we can’t fix our schools without holding teachers, principals and parents accountable for results. They must know that fighting global warming is not a costless challenge. And they must know that we can’t keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals unless we crack down on the black market for them.

The vast majority of Americans know that all of this is true, but — politics being what it is — the candidates seem afraid to level with them.

Over the past year, I have been working to raise issues that are important to New Yorkers and all Americans — and to speak plainly about common sense solutions. Some of these solutions have traditionally been seen as Republican, while others have been seen as Democratic. As a businessman, I never believed that either party had all the answers and, as mayor, I have seen just how true that is.

In every city I have visited — from Baltimore to New Orleans to Seattle — the message of an independent approach has resonated strongly, and so has the need for a new urban agenda. More than 65 percent of Americans now live in urban areas — our nation’s economic engines. But you would never know that listening to the presidential candidates. At a time when our national economy is sputtering, to say the least, what are we doing to fuel job growth in our cities, and to revive cities that have never fully recovered from the manufacturing losses of recent decades?

More of the same won’t do, on the economy or any other issue. We need innovative ideas, bold action and courageous leadership. That’s not just empty rhetoric, and the idea that we have the ability to solve our toughest problems isn’t some pie-in-the-sky dream. In New York, working with leaders from both parties and mayors and governors from across the country, we’ve demonstrated that an independent approach really can produce progress on the most critical issues, including the economy, education, the environment, energy, infrastructure and crime.

I believe that an independent approach to these issues is essential to governing our nation — and that an independent can win the presidency. I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president. I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate.

In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue to 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. And while I have always said I am not running for president, the race is too important to sit on the sidelines, and so I have changed my mind in one area. 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.

The changes needed in this country are straightforward enough, but there are always partisan reasons to take an easy way out. There are always special interests that will fight against any challenge to the status quo. And there are always those who will worry more about their next election than the health of our country.

These forces that prevent meaningful progress are powerful, and they exist in both parties. I believe that the candidate who recognizes that the party is over — and begins enlisting all of us to clean up the mess — will be the winner this November, and will lead our country to a great and boundless future.

Michael R. Bloomberg is the mayor of New York.

Bloomberg backers not giving up

Bloomberg backers
not giving up
Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor

The Republicans have a presumptive presidential nominee, the Democrats are down to the final two, but fans of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg are still hoping he jumps in as an independent alternative.

A draft Bloomberg committee urged supporters today to sign an online petition urging him to run. Bloomberg, however, has sounded less interested in getting in the race and spending some of his billions, particulary after former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani endorsed John McCain.

"Bloomberg has about ten days left to make a decision whether to run or not – the people have about ten days left to encourage him to run," said Doug Bailey, a committee leader and Republican.

Deadlines are fast approaching to get on the ballot in key states.

"Mike Bloomberg represents an option outside of the broken two-party system in Washington. That option may be more important than ever -- but time might be running out. The American public needs to ask themselves if they want a candidate who has proven he understands both how the economy works and how a government can be run successfully. Bloomberg alone meets both tests," said Gerald Rafshoon, a Democrat and the other committee leader.

Draft Bloomberg Issues Ultimatum: 10 Days to Decide

Draft Bloomberg Issues Ultimatum:
10 Days to Decide
February 8, 2008

As the GOP appears close to settling on a candidate and the window of opportunity seems to be closing for Mayor Bloomberg's potential independent presidential bid, one effort to draft him into the race is turning up the heat in hopes of pushing him to a decision.

The Draft Bloomberg committee started by Unity08 co-founders Doug Bailey and Gerald Rafshoon has posted a new Web video warning Bloomberg that it's "crunch time" and noting he has 10 days left to pull the trigger on a third party candidacy.

"With ballot access laws in several states requiring early action, time is running out, the committee's press release states. "Virtually any effort to qualify for the Texas ballot, for example, must begin the day after the Texas primary on March 4."

UPDATE: Bailey said there's "nothing magic" that happens in 10 days, it's sort of an arbitray date, assuming that it would take about a week for a candidate to gear up to make a formal announcement. In Bailey's mind, the decision has to be made in this time frame to get out in front of the Lone Star State primary, which is expected to generate a huge turnout and potentially decide the Democratic contest.

Texas has rather onerous ballot access requirements for independent candidates: Roughly 74,000 signatures must be collected and filed by May 8, and I believe if you're cast a ballot for another major party candidate, you're signature isn't valid.

Bloomberg pollster/advisor Doug Schoen recently said the mayor might wait until as late as May to make up his mind, and a ballot-access effort will go forward with the name of a placeholder candidate on the petitions.

UPDATE#2: A ballot access expert tells me that Texas election law prohibts using placeholders for independent presidential candidate, BUT a third party like, say, the Reform Party, could do so, and also has a lower signature requirement - around 46,000.

Rafshoon said Bloomberg "represents an option outside the broken two-party system in Washington," and urged voters to ask themselves whether they want a candidate who has both "proven he understands both how the economy works and how a government can be run successfully," adding: "Bloomberg alone meets both tests."

The video features a digital clock running down, the ticking of a time bomb and footage of an explosion, presumably a terrorist attack. It urges people to sign the petition at DraftBloomberg.com, adding:

"Let him hear from us. So we can hear from him, and have a chance to choose. Time is short. Michael Bloomberg. For America. For all of us. Act now."



SCRIPT: "The Time Is Now"

You hear it when unemployment numbers go up.

Every time another terrorist bomb goes off.

Every day they continue to bicker in Washington.

time is running out. Decisions made now will shape the future of our country, not just decisions by the voters.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has about ten days to decide if he'll take the first steps to be on the November ballot.

Are you satisfied with the choices you have, or do you want a third choice, an independent voice?

Our very best. You can still make it happen.

But 10 days and counting to make sure we have a choice.

Will we have a president who understands the economy because he's built an enormously successful business from scratch?

Will we have a president who really knows how to run a government because he's alrady done it, and done it well.

Can we have a president who owes absolutely nothing to the lobbyists the special interests or the party extremists?

There is still time to have that choice. Come to DraftBloomberg.com and sign the petition asking him to run.

Let him hear from us. So we can hear from him, and have a chance to choose.
Time is short. Michael Bloomberg. For America. For all of us.
Act now.

A real choice for president. Just imagine the possibilities for America.

Michael Bloomberg really not running

Michael Bloomberg
really not running
Sunday, February 3rd 2008

Last week was a gloomy one for Bloomberg boosters:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has called Bloomberg his "soulmate" in pragmatic, bipartisan governing, endorsed Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain.

Connecticut Sen. Joseph Lieberman, another close Bloomberg ally who has backed McCain, said a McCain candidacy would likely keep the mayor out of the race because the two men would tap into the same independent-minded base.

Bloomberg himself tacked on an unusual ending to his usual "I am not a candidate" response, adding, "and I'll stay that way" at a Thursday appearance at Google's New York offices.

Even Karen Gallet, an original organizer of a local draft Bloomberg effort, is giving up the fight. "All those indicators that we thought would lead up to his considering it seriously don't seem to be happening," she said. "The clincher for me was McCain. He's about 70% of everything Bloomberg stands for."

All this would seem to point to an end to a much-hinted but never-declared Bloomberg 2008 candidacy.

Bloomberg supporters would prefer a race between New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who are more politically divisive and less personally appealing than Sen. Barack Obama and McCain, a friend of Bloomberg's.

The developments, however, have not derailed the behind-the-scenes work of Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey, the mayor's top political aide, sources said.

"Nothing's changed. These guys are full-speed ahead," said one source close to the effort.

The sort-of campaign, including former Bloomberg aide Patrick Brennan and Independence Party of America Chairman Frank MacKay, is still working on getting Bloomberg on the ballot in every state, sources said. Venture capitalist James Robinson 4th told the New York Sun last week that his Symposia Group has collected and analyzed mounds of data on behalf of Bloomberg that show he could win.

The furious effort could be read as one last push by Sheekey to convince his boss that he has a shot at winning in a field that's no longer as clear-cut as it once was.

Bloomberg backers think there could be room for him in the middle as the economy slows and the candidates have to run to the left or right to appeal to party stalwarts.

"He's as close now [to deciding to run] as he ever has been," the source said.

Asked directly on Friday whether the results from Super Tuesday would lead him to "reevaluate" his "personal situation," Bloomberg instead launched into an analysis of the nomination process.

"Both parties have wide-open races at the moment. There are more than one viable candidate in both parties," he said. "And that's good for the country."

kdanis@nydailynews.com

McCain's Success May Be Upsetting N.Y. Mayor's Plans

McCain's Success May Be Upsetting
N.Y. Mayor's Plans
By Keith B. Richburg
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 3, 2008; Page A15

NEW YORK -- When the polls close on Tuesday, few will be analyzing the results more closely than Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, whose own thinly disguised presidential ambitions are likely to hinge on the outcome.

Since his reelection in 2005, Bloomberg, a billionaire businessman, has been flirting with a White House run, while publicly denying any such intentions. He has spent millions of dollars on nationwide polling. He left the Republican Party and became an independent. He has traveled widely across the United States and overseas. He has begun speaking out about national issues. Last month, he met with a ballot access expert in Texas.

One current and one former aide compared it to the typical research a businessman does before making a major decision -- collect data, study contingencies and keep options open. They both said Bloomberg has not made up his mind about a run.

But all the research, the positioning and the careful planning seem to have been upended last week by events on the campaign trail that few predicted a few months ago. Sen. John McCain, written off over the summer as an also-ran, won the Florida primary and became the clear Republican front-runner.

Veterans of past Bloomberg campaigns said McCain's unexpected ascendancy -- and the likelihood that the senator from Arizona could emerge from Tuesday's voting as the presumptive GOP nominee -- may have severely complicated Bloomberg's plans. McCain appeals to some moderate Democrats and, more important, to independents -- precisely the group Bloomberg would be targeting.

McCain also has a reputation in Washington for working with Democrats on issues such as immigration and campaign finance reform, somewhat undercutting Bloomberg's main argument for running: that he would offer a pragmatic, post-partisan kind of leadership.

On Thursday, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a moderate Republican who has formed working coalitions with Democrats in recent years, endorsed McCain. It was during a June visit to see Schwarzenegger in California that Bloomberg dropped his Republican Party affiliation. At the time, Schwarzenegger said Bloomberg "would be a great candidate," and the two, who have forged a close relationship, have been mentioned as possible running mates.

"I kind of sense that there are some in the Bloomberg for President camp who thought the balloon lost a little air . . . with Schwarzenegger's endorsement of McCain," said Jonathan Greenspun, who worked in Bloomberg's administration for 4 1/2 years and now is with a public affairs firm in New York.

"Schwarzenegger and Bloomberg had been interconnected in this independent-candidacy rationale," Greenspun said. "Now that McCain is the presumptive nominee, some think that removes the Bloomberg rationale."

Fred Siegel, contributing editor of the City Journal and a professor at the Cooper Union college, offered much the same analysis. "McCain appeals to the independents that Bloomberg would have to appeal to," he said.

"Does he desperately want to run? Yes. But I'm skeptical," Siegel said. "He has to find an opening. What he lacks now is a rationale."

Douglas E. Schoen, a pollster and strategist who did polling for Bloomberg's two mayoral campaigns, disagreed. "I think it's too early to say," said Schoen, whose new book, "Declaring Independence," is about major voting trends that could pave the way for an independent candidacy.

Schoen said it is too soon to determine whether McCain and the Democratic nominee would be able to unite their parties, or whether large blocs of voters would remain alienated. McCain, he said, is already attracting the ire of the Republican Party's right wing.

There is less of a consensus on how the outcome of the Democratic race will affect Bloomberg's decision. Some said he would be less likely to run if Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton became the nominee, because they are both New Yorkers. With Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.), the problem is that the senator has exactly the kind of post-partisan appeal that Bloomberg would make central to his campaign, and Obama, in the primaries so far, also has been backed by independent voters.

Those who still envision Bloomberg running said he is now looking to March 5, the day that Texas will begin allowing independent candidates to start collecting the signatures necessary to get on the state's presidential ballot. Between now and then, some analysts and others said, Bloomberg will be watching to see whether the two parties begin to coalesce around their presumptive nominees or whether lingering rancor from the primary battles leaves an opening for him.

But many are skeptical. "If it's McCain as the Republican nominee, and a historic choice on the Democratic side, I'm not sure what [Bloomberg] would offer," said Rhodes Cook, a political analyst who publishes a newsletter on politics. "He would need a burning issue -- and nothing seems to be burning."

Bloomberg continues to deny that he plans to run. But Thursday, the day Schwarzenegger endorsed McCain, the mayor offered a slightly different formulation that raised eyebrows in the political world.

"I've said repeatedly I'm not a candidate," he told reporters, and then added, cryptically, "And I'll stay that way."

Draft Bloomberg campaign hits the road

Draft Bloomberg campaign hits the road

February 1, 2008

If Mayor Michael Bloomberg is looking for a sign that he should get into the presidential race, he may want to peek out of his window on Monday.

A mobile billboard company will be cruising Manhattan next week, most likely starting at the mayor's Upper East Side home, with an truck-sized sign intended to push the billionaire independent into launching a third-party bid.

"Support Mike Bloomberg for president," it reads, under a photograph of the White House juxtaposed with a headshot of the mayor. "The only presidential candidate that can't be bought."

Lenny Sobel, the owner of the Long Island-based company, Mobile Ads, said he is covering the production costs of about $2,000, plus the additional expense of driving the truck.

The launch comes the day before Super Tuesday, when New York and 23 other states hold their primaries and caucuses, and Sobel says it's the perfect time to parade a Bloomberg billboard through the streets.

Sobel believes Bloomberg's wealth makes him unique in that he is not beholden to special interests.

"He seems to be a true person who can make change without anybody in his back pocket," Sobel said.

"All politicians sound wonderful but Bloomberg has proved himself in the years of being mayor and I think he has a good possibility of becoming president."

Bloomberg spokesman Stu Loeser declined comment on the ad campaign.

For his part, Bloomberg _ who is quietly studying what it would take to get on the ballot and mount a third-party campaign _ said again Friday that he is "not a candidate."

This time Bloomberg really denies presidential run

This time Bloomberg
really denies presidential run
BY KARLA SCHUSTER | karla.schuster@newsday.com
January 31, 2008

Mayor Michael Bloomberg once again denied any presidential aspirations Thursday, but with some new language that suggests he might really mean it this time.

"I've said repeatedly I'm not a candidate ... and I'll stay that way," the mayor said in response to a reporter's question during an appearance at Google's New York headquarters in Chelsea.

The mayor has said he's "not a candidate" before, but his choice of words Thursday went further and was somewhat more definitive than previous denials.

Bloomberg has been flirting with a possible independent White House bid for months, with aides conducting national polling to gauge his chances while he coyly denied any knowledge of their activities.

Just two weeks ago, he met with Ross Perot's former campaign manager in Texas and with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in Los Angeles.

On Thursday, Schwarzenegger threw his support behind John McCain, which could be seen as a blow to a fledgling Bloomberg bid. None of this seemed to faze the mayor Thursday. In fact, when asked by a Google employee if he was "going to run for the presidency of the United States," the mayor joked: "No. Next question."

Then again, the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent mayor has been known to change his mind.

Michael Bloomberg: Is He Hollywood's Man For White House?

Michael Bloomberg:
Is He Hollywood's Man For
White House?
Posted By:Julia Boorstin

As we lead up to Super Tuesday I've been reporting on the intersection of Hollywood and politics. Hollywood plays a key role raising awareness about issues, and candidates. (Though I wouldn't say that a Hollywood endorsement is necessarily a good thing).

Hollywood has the kind of power and money to make it the perfect place to feel out a candidacy, which is exactly what Michael Bloomberg is doing. He's been making the rounds, schmoozing with the biggest names in the biz, and feeling out a potential presidential candidacy.

Lions Gate vice-Chairman Michael Burns told me about his hopes that Bloomberg will run for president at Sundance film festival in an exclusive interview. Burns, a self-described moderate Republican, and his partner, John Feltheimer, the CEO of Lions Gate, a liberal Democrat co-hosted a dinner for Bloomberg at Feltheimer's home, with a handful of select A-list Hollywood execs. Burns, who's also a John McCain supporter, said "it's time for common sense", saying he hopes that Bloomberg can, as an Independent candidate draw support from both sides of the aisle, bridging the Blue State/Red State divide.

Lions Gate leadership isn't the only Hollywood brass supporting the New York Mayor. The night after Burns and Feltheimer's dinner, Bob Iger hosted another dinner for him, with more high-powered Hollywood guests. And CBS CEO Les Moonves played golf with Bloomberg. And Bloomberg is said to be best buds with Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose aides and former aides, have reportedly been meeting with Bloomberg's folks.

Hollywood has some outspoken supporters of Barack Obama--from DreamWorks' David Geffen to Scarlett Johansson. Despite a historic affinity to the Clinton dynasty, more big Hollywood names seem to support Obama than Hillary Clinton. So if Clinton gets the nomination, that could spur a move by Bloomberg, to capture some of the vote of those that don't like Hillary. In fact, the rumor is that Bloomberg would only run against Hillary, not Obama, so it all comes together.

Will Bloomberg run? Too soon to say, but if he does, support from Hollywood will surely play a role.

Questions? Comments? MediaMoney@cnbc.com

How to End the Gridlock

How to End the Gridlock
By Bob Graham
Wednesday, January 30, 2008; Page A15

For much of the past two decades, Americans have watched in frustration as presidents and members of Congress have repeatedly achieved deadlock rather than consensus on issues that are critical to our nation. The results of this partisan traffic jam are frightening. For example:

Almost seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, we still have huge gaps in national and homeland security. Our military is stretched thin and our nation remains vulnerable to catastrophic terrorism.

Nearly 50 million Americans still have no health insurance, and the number of the uninsured rises every year.

As evidenced by the bridge collapse in Minneapolis last August and the crumbling levees in New Orleans, we have recklessly neglected our infrastructure.

Gas prices remain high, but we still have no real energy policy.

Worst of all, we are betraying the fundamental American aspiration that future generations achieve more than those that came before. Seven of 10 Americans now believe that our children will be less well off than their parents.

Many factors have contributed to these ills, but the chief cause is the rampant partisanship that has paralyzed Washington. Early this month, I joined with former senator David Boren and 15 other experienced public officials from both parties to discuss prescriptions for overcoming the stalemate. Our primary focus was the presidential election. The next president will have a clean slate and the burst of enthusiasm that accompanies any new occupant of the White House. He or she has an opportunity -- and an obligation -- to attack the disease of partisan hostility and to set the tone during this election.

We suggested a few initial steps. Each presidential nominee should commit to appointing a truly bipartisan Cabinet that would include the most qualified people available, regardless of their party affiliation. Presidential candidates should be pressured to clearly describe how they would establish a government of national unity. Since results matter more than words, we would also press both major-party nominees to lay out specific strategies for reducing polarization and reaching bipartisan consensus on our agenda of national challenges.

The next president can't do it alone. If we are to break the cycle of partisan gridlock, others who have contributed to the disease must also help with the cure. To this end:

Congress must restore and modernize the campaign finance reforms enacted after Watergate. Today, a presidential candidate accepts public financing at the risk of being discounted as weak and irrelevant.

The media must insist that future presidential debates each focus on a single issue. Candidates can hide behind sound bites when a debate covers every and all subjects. But when candidates must spend a full 90 minutes discussing health care or national defense, voters will learn who is for real and who isn't.

Political parties must fundamentally reform the dysfunctional presidential primary system. We need a better process in 2012 -- one that empowers all Americans. My preference would be four regional primaries, held at three- to four-week intervals from January to April.

Our citizens must be educated to use their powers for effective participation in the political process. Democracy was never intended to be a spectator sport.

History tells us that bipartisanship is possible. In the 40 years after World War II, nine presidents -- four Democrats and five Republicans -- worked side by side with Congresses of both parties to contain the Soviet Union and strengthen the free world. We can resurrect that healthy condition, but it starts with cutting out the cancer of hostile partisanship. It's time to use the knife not to injure political opponents but to cure.

Bob Graham, a Democrat, was a U.S. senator from Florida from 1987 to 2005. He is an associate of the Belfer Center at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and leads the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida and the University of Miami.

Last Stop for the Bloomberg '08 Express?

Last Stop for the Bloomberg '08 Express?

Speculation about a presidential bid dampened
after the mayor’s visit to Oklahoma

BY AZI PAYBARAH

NORMAN, Okla.—Michael Bloomberg’s appearance here at a forum on bipartisanship may go down as the moment the serious speculation about his presidential ambitions finally came to an end.

New York media outlets (including The Observer) sent reporters to the University of Oklahoma to cover it, including four from The New York Times alone: one hard news correspondent, one editorial writer, one “just there for color” and another doing research for a book about the mayor. When the panel organizers announced via e-mail the event would end at 1 p.m., instead of the originally scheduled noon, The Daily News and New York Post switched their flights in order to stay in Oklahoma an extra night, fearing there wasn’t enough time to file what they expected to be major national stories and still get to the airport on time.
The conference participants seemed to find it all amusing.

At one point, Bob Graham, the former Democratic senator and presidential candidate, pointed out to reporters that not even Theodore Roosevelt could get elected as an independent president. Asked if Bloomberg should say once and for all that he’s not running, Mr. Graham said, “I thought that’s what he did today. Isn’t that what he said? Why don’t you believe what the man said?”

For the record, Mr. Bloomberg had responded to a question about what he would do to promote unity if he ran for higher office by saying, “Look, I’m not a candidate, number one. I’m a former businessman and a mayor.” This was perfectly consistent with the mayor’s other public statements on the matter, which were mostly various forms of dismissal.

Of course, the mayor has been having it both ways. He has been traveling the country giving speeches on national policy and, recently, criticizing the existing field of presidential candidates. One explanation of this is that he is merely using the speculation about a potential billion-dollar independent campaign to stave off lame-duck irrelevance. Another is that he actually hasn’t made up his mind.

But if this is the case, events are rapidly passing him by. For one thing, as of this writing, New Hampshire was witnessing heavy turnout for its primaries, roughly 40 percent of whom were independents. Whatever else that may indicate, it's not a sign of desperate yearning for an alternative to what the major parties have on offer.

Even at the bipartisanship forum—a meeting of a 17-member group of Democratic, Republican and independent elected officials unhappy with the current state of politics—there was precisely zero detectable enthusiasm for a Bloomberg bid in 2008.

Former New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman said before the conference that she had no interest in it being a vehicle for Bloomberg ’08, and after the panel discussion she walked right off stage, pointedly ignoring shouted questions from reporters.

Later, conference host David Boren (a former senator) told a group of reporters surrounding him, “I’ll put it to you this way. I take the mayor at his word. I don’t really think the mayor wants to run. Does that mean the mayor would never run if the system, if he still views the system as failing? I think he’s a good American, and I don’t think he’ll close the door on it if he thought it was his duty.”

He added, “I don’t think he has the ambition to run for president. And I think he hopes like the rest of us—hope against hope—that the two parties will rise to the occasion.

“Every indication I have is he does not have a burning desire to run for president of the United States. He does not have an ambition to run for president of the United States,” said Boren. “I think he hopes that the system will work without his having to do that.”

And here, talking at the conference, was Bloomberg himself:

“I think all the members of the panel are optimistic that the candidates will listen to us and will understand there is a deep need in this country and a deep desire among the electorate to have candidates face the big issues. And if we can be a little bit of a catalyst along those lines, then we really have accomplished something. And you’ll never know whether they’re changed because of us or didn’t change in spite of us. Who knows?”

And that, it seemed, was that.

Public and press must ask priorities of candidates

Public and press must ask
priorities of candidates

The Norman Transcript Editorial
January 09, 2008

The reporters who parachuted into our city are gone, their stories filed and the television satellite trucks have moved from their posts on College Avenue, behind the Catlett Music Center. Now, it's up to the American people and the press to continue the dialogue started Monday morning on the University of Oklahoma campus.

Those 17 men and women who filled the Catlett stage -- six Republicans, six Democrats, two Independents and three unknowns -- have said their piece. Their joint statement is part of the record. They want those words to serve as a catalyst for a unified national government, one where leaders put the country's interest ahead of their parties.

It can't happen without the press asking those questions and demanding answers of candidates. The scripted sound bites and restricted access the candidates now provide?don't lend themselves to the kind of spirited give and take suggested by the forum's participants.

Many of the assembled leaders served in Congress with OU President David Boren. They wore party hats then but now see that the process has become paralyzing. A bipartisan approach worked best, they say.

"We are here today because we are committed to a renewal of that kind of bipartisanship," an emphatic Boren said. His co-host, Sam Nunn, echoed his former Senate colleague's remarks. "We wouldn't be here if we didn't think the nation faces serious problems," he said.

One by one, the panelists made their points and suggested strategy to save the democracy.

"Seventeen people cannot bring about change," said David Abshire, president of the Center for the Study of the Presidency. "It's going to take the entire American people."

Best lines from OU forum: Former Texas Gov. Mark White, playing on Nebraska Senator Chuck Hagel's football remarks, claimed Baylor University as his home school. "Baylor doesn't come to Oklahoma looking for linebackers. We come to Oklahoma looking for mercy."

Reactions vary to OU political forum
Scott Carter
Transcript Staff Writer

While University of Oklahoma President David Boren's political forum drew huge crowds and nationwide media attention Monday, reaction to the event was varied and divided.

And though Boren's call for greater unity in American politics and more accountability for those seeking office was popular with the audience, some officials questioned the forum's timing and the past actions by many of the lawmakers who participated.

"Sure, I was pleased by what I saw," said state Rep. Wallace Collins, a Norman Democrat. "But all this call for bipartisanship rings a little hollow with me. Now that the GOP is behind they want everyone to come together and sing 'Kumbaya.'"

Collins said he was frustrated because "a majority of the panel" were Republicans.

"You might as well call a spade a spade," he said. "Most of the speakers were Republican. None of them have spoken out on important issues. None of them spoke against their own party when they were passing legislation like ethanol. They took the idea with an open hand and heart."

And though Collins said he supports the call for a better working relationship among all political parties, and the need to develop a unified national policy for many of the country's issues, he said many of those on stage have failed to live up to their rhetoric.

"Take energy," he said. "Yes, the country needs a long-term energy policy. But it wasn't developed by those people on the stage."

Those leaders, he said, have failed to take action many times on many important issues.

"I didn't hear any of them speaking about issues like ethanol, which I believe is a diversion. They were in power for almost a decade. Why did they let us get eight more years down the road? Why now?"

Collins also questioned the group's "lack of action" on issues such as the Iraq war, or campaign mud slinging.

"None of them had the nerve to speak up and talk about the Bush administration," he said. "I didn't hear any of them talking about the war. And where was that bipartisanship four years ago, eight years ago? Look at what the Swiftboat veterans did. Did anyone on this panel say that was terrible?"

Others felt differently.

Dr. Robin Myers, pastor of Oklahoma City's Mayflower Congregational UCC Church, said the event represented "a great day" for Oklahoma.

"It's a great day for OU and a coup for president Boren," Myers said. "Instead of the rest of the country looking at Oklahoma and thinking that all that comes out of here is strange, extremist views, they see this forum."

Myers, a professor of rhetoric in the philosophy department at Oklahoma City University and sometimes political pundit, said the event could cause a major shift in the state -- and the country's -- political landscape.

"We're just on the cusp of change," he said. "Our young people are now realizing they've been sold a bill of goods. I hope this becomes the model for other universities to follow."

Events like this, Myers said, give him hope.

"Every once in a while good ideas bubble up and, finally, we get the leaders to pay attention. It's the saving grace of democracy -- that people still have the power. Once the tone is set, those messages get listened to all the way down to the local level. And today has made me proud, proud to be from Oklahoma."

M. Scott Carter 366-3545 scarter@normantranscript.com

Bloomberg in Spotlight but Still Not in Fray

Bloomberg in Spotlight
but Still Not in Fray
By BEN CASSELMAN
January 8, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. -- Michael Bloomberg's noncampaign for president had its most public moment to date yesterday, even though many observers said the window for a Bloomberg run is closing as independent voters begin to settle on declared candidates.

Some 200 members of the media were among the more than 1,000 people who turned out for an event that was officially a forum on bipartisanship but that has drawn headlines as a possible step toward a presidential run for the New York mayor.


Mr. Bloomberg again denied he was a candidate, but he implicitly drew a distinction between himself and the current crop. "There's no accountability today ... There is no willingness to focus on big ideas," he said. "What we want is for people to be selected for government based on competency."

Despite the attention, even many of Mr. Bloomberg's potential supporters were saying he was being overshadowed by another politician preaching unity: Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.


The Democratic presidential candidate has surged to the lead in polls in New Hampshire following an unexpectedly decisive victory last week in Iowa, where he won support from large numbers of independents and first-time voters.

David Glover, 44 years old, arrived at the University of Oklahoma's Catlett Music Center about two hours before yesterday's event was set to begin. He said he admired Mr. Bloomberg and his message but was more likely to support Mr. Obama. "It's an interesting concept that they're trying to find a middle road," Mr. Glover said. "But I think what's happened is [that] a middle road has already been found" in Mr. Obama.

Ryan Bolling, a 23-year-old University of Oklahoma graduate, said he was impressed with Mr. Bloomberg when he spoke at commencement last spring and believes many young voters are looking for a centrist alternative. But, he said, Mr. Obama already has been successful at rallying support among younger voters. "There's an enthusiasm that's actually energizing young people for the first time," Mr. Bolling said.

Former Georgia Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn, one of the event's co-hosts, agreed that Mr. Obama's rise could cut into Mr. Bloomberg's chances. "He changes everybody's equation," Mr. Nunn said after the forum.

Mr. Nunn added that the results of Iowa's caucuses -- Republican Mike Huckabee's win as well as Mr. Obama's -- suggested a desire among voters to get away from current partisanship. But he said that while the candidates were embracing bipartisanship, they haven't said how they would achieve it. "George W. [Bush] ran on that, too," Mr. Nunn said with a smile.

Mr. Nunn and his co-host, University of Oklahoma President and former Democratic Sen. David Boren, said the forum wasn't about Mr. Bloomberg but about getting the candidates to commit to bipartisanship -- and to give specifics that go beyond the rhetoric of unity.

"Several candidates so far have, I would say, stuck their toes into the waters of bipartisanship," Mr. Boren said. "I think now they need to go beyond sticking their toe in."

The 17 attendees, including several former senators, governors and other leaders from both parties, met behind closed doors Sunday night and yesterday morning to produce a joint statement calling on both parties' candidates to provide "clear descriptions of how they would establish a government of national unity" and "specific strategies for reducing polarization and reaching bipartisan consensus."

But in the press conference that followed yesterday's meeting, virtually all the questions were directed at Mr. Bloomberg. "I'm not a candidate, No. 1," he responded to one question about a possible run. "I'm a former businessman and mayor."

But Mr. Bloomberg didn't hesitate to criticize, at least implicitly, this year's candidates. "The public may not agree with you when you take a position, but they respect you for it," he said. "We used to have that, and we don't anymore."

After the forum, Mr. Boren said he doesn't believe Mr. Bloomberg will run. "I really don't think he's the kind of person who plans to become a professional politician," Mr. Boren said. But he left open the possibility of backing a Bloomberg candidacy if the candidates don't listen to the forum's message.

"I hope it won't come to a necessity for people like me and others to feel like we had to go to Mayor Bloomberg and try to push him into running for president," Mr. Boren said.

Not everyone is so reluctant: At least two "draft" movements were on hand in Oklahoma urging Mr. Bloomberg to run. But proponents of such a candidacy remain a minority.

Even many of Mr. Bloomberg's fellow New Yorkers aren't pushing for him to run. A WNBC/Marist poll released yesterday said 60% of New York-state voters would like to see a viable third party, but only 27% want Mr. Bloomberg to run this year. His perceived electability may be part of the issue: Only 12% of the poll's respondents thought Mr. Bloomberg would be likely to win if he did run.

Write to Ben Casselman at ben.casselman@wsj.com

Joint statement by participants at the OU political forum

America is in danger. Our ability to meet and solve the problems that face us is seriously compromised. National surveys reveal that an unprecedented seven out of ten citizens believe that life for their children will not be as good as their own. We are headed in the wrong direction. We share their deep concern and frustration. Our nation is indeed at risk.

• Approval for the United States around the world has dropped to historically low levels, with only one out of four people approving of our country’s actions, even in nations that are our longtime allies;

• We have eroded America’s credibility and capacity to lead on urgent global and foreign policy issues including terrorism, nuclear nonproliferation, climate change, and regional instabilities;

• Our budget and trade deficits are out of control. We are squandering our children’s future. The ominous transfer of our national wealth has made our economy vulnerable, and our economic strength and competitiveness are both declining. Middle-income Americans are struggling to keep their homes and jobs and educate their children.

• We are not as secure as we should be. Our military is stretched thin and our nation remains vulnerable to catastrophic terrorism.

• We are being held economically hostage because we have no energy policy worthy of the name.

• Our educational system is failing to prepare our children to succeed in a globalized and technological world.

• Nearly 50 million Americans remain without health insurance, and the cost of medical care continues to spiral.

• The failures of bridges in Minneapolis and levees in New Orleans are harsh metaphors for the reckless neglect of our infrastructure.

These critical issues are uniquely interlocked and we must have a national strategy and prioritization of resources. We are failing to address them because rampant partisanship has paralyzed the ability of our government to act. If we allow polarizing politics to continue, we will remain a nation divided and no matter who is elected this fall, he or she will not have a mandate for governing. Too many in both our parties have sought to energize their bases instead of reaching out to address the issues that concern our nation as a whole. They appeal to extremes and marginalize those in the commonsense center.

In order to break this partisan impasse, we urge the presidential candidates to provide:

• clear descriptions of how they would establish a government of national unity;

• specific strategies for reducing polarization and reaching bipartisan consensus;

• plans to go beyond tokenism to appoint a truly bipartisan cabinet with critical posts held by the most qualified people available regardless of political affiliation; and

• proposals for bipartisan executive and legislative policy groups in critical areas such as national security.

National elections present an opportunity for candidates and citizens to have a serious and civil discussion of the imperative issues facing our country at home and abroad. Today, we urge our fellow citizens, including the news media, to join us in asking the candidates to address these challenges.

If as a nation we begin to ask, debate, and address these and other fundamental issues, we can renew our commitment to community and empower those we elect to govern effectively.

We are convinced that if we establish a government of national unity, we can meet these challenges head on, develop a cohesive strategy prioritizing our responses and matching our goals with our capabilities. In short, we believe that if we unify, we can turn America’s peril into America’s promise and face our future with optimism.

The participants in the forum were:

• President of the Center for the Study of the Presidency Dr. David Abshire.

• Mayor of New York City Michael Bloomberg, an independent.

• University of Oklahoma President and former Senator and governor David Boren, a Democrat.

• Former Republican National Chairman and U.S. Senator from Tennessee Bill Brock, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Maine and Secretary of Defense Bill Cohen, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Missouri Jack Danforth, a Republican.

• President of the Eisenhower Group Susan Eisenhower, a Republican.

• Former Governor and U.S. Senator from Florida Bob Graham, a Democrat.

• U.S. Senator from Iowa Chuck Hagel, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Colorado Gary Hart, a Democrat.

• Former Governor of Maine Angus King, an independent.

• Former Congressman from Iowa Jim Leach, a Republican.

• Former U.S. Senator from Georgia and our co-host Sam Nunn, a Democrat.

• Former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Edward Perkins.

• Former U.S. Senator from Virginia Chuck Robb, a Democrat.

• Former Governor of Texas Mark White, a Democrat.

• Former Governor of New Jersey and Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican.

Political forum urges move beyond partisanship

Political forum urges candidates and
citizens to move beyond partisanship

Julianna Parker
Transcript Staff Writer

Presidential candidates should take a hard look at the long-term problems facing America and make the right policy choices without regard to party lines, according to 17 members of a bipartisan panel assembled at a University of Oklahoma forum Monday morning.

"We must ask the candidates to present a strategy for a unified consensus," said OU President David Boren, co-host of the event, to the crowd of about 1,000 in Sharp Concert Hall at OU.

The political leaders flew into Norman Sunday and met that night and for a private breakfast at the Boyd House Monday morning. They discussed a statement, circulated beforehand, and formed the final draft that was read at a public discussion and press conference 11 a.m. Monday.

The hall was packed with national media, OU students and faculty and local residents. The audience was enthusiastic, giving the panel members a standing ovation before they said anything.

The forum was organized to appeal to presidential candidates to tell the American people how they plan to unite the country once again. The appeal seemed heartfelt.

"Bring us together," Boren shouted passionately in his opening remarks. "Bring us together! Bring us together and the American people will assure our future."

Then the statement was read by former Sen. Sam Nunn, co-host of the event, and members of the panel commented on its themes. The statement painted a picture of a nation in crisis, listing the problems of energy, medical insurance and security among others.

"These critical issues are uniquely interlocked and we must have a national strategy and prioritization of resources," Nunn read. "We are failing to address them because rampant partisanship has paralyzed the ability of our government to act."

Instead of tackling those tough problems, politicians are taking the easy way out and only reacting to problems when they reach a critical mass, said Mark White, a former Texas governor.

"The government owes the American people more than an energy bill that says we should change our light bulbs in four years," he said. "We're a better nation than that."

But the call for bipartisanship was not just for presidential candidates, Boren said.

"This is really an appeal to the American people, and an appeal to the media as well," he said.

All the talk of moderation and bipartisanship today won't amount to anything unless the American public responds to the call, he said.

Responding to a question from the audience, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said it looks like America may already be responding.

The results of the Iowa caucus show that voters are supporting candidates calling for bipartisanship. If a few candidates are doing that now, perhaps more will realize that's what it takes to get elected, Bloomberg said.

"I hope that all the candidates say to themselves, 'The public is tired with the partisanship and the special interests, and if I'm gonna get elected I'm gonna stand up and say what I believe, face the big issues, hold myself accountable,'" Bloomberg said.

Americans need to demand that candidates give specific solutions to the problems facing the country, he said. Citizens need to ask tough questions and demand solutions based on what will work, not party affiliation, he said.

"What we want is for people to be selected for government based on competency," Bloomberg said.

It will take citizens stepping up to their responsibilities as members of the United States for such a change to take place. Most of America has been marginalized in American politics, former Sen. Jack Danforth said. Instead, political parties focus on their more extreme base voters, because they are the most outspoken. Now moderate Americans don't feel the government reflects their views, Danforth said.

"So it's not that we're some group of 17 judges sitting up here, it's a question of whether what we are saying resonates with the American people, and whether people at the center of the political spectrum are going to be more outspoken in demanding the politicians come together," Danforth said.

Christine Todd Whitman, former governor of New Jersey and administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, made the burden even more personal.

"It's up to us as individual voters to take back the system."

Julianna Parker 366-3541 jparker@normantranscript.com

Forum draws doubters, protesters

Forum draws doubters, protesters
By Michael McNutt
Capitol Bureau
Tue January 8, 2008

NORMAN — While several expressed hope that presidential candidates would heed the advice of a bipartisan panel and state their positions more clearly, a former independent candidate for Oklahoma lieutenant governor called Monday's event a waste of time.

"It was all a bunch of liberals, there wasn't a single conservative who was invited to participate,” said E.Z. Million of Norman. "It was just another political act by Boren.”

Million, a frequent critic of University of Oklahoma President David Boren, said voters don't need a group of current and former politicians to tell them how to vote, as evidenced during last week's Iowa caucuses when the presidential candidates who talked the most about change and idealism won their races.

Another former independent candidate in the audience, however, said something must be done to bring presidential candidates in touch with American voters.

"My message to independents is how bad does it have to get before you're going to stop putting them into office and give somebody else a chance,” said Dean Barkley, who was appointed in 2002 by then-Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura, an independent, to fill 62 days remaining in the term of U.S. Sen. Paul Wellstone, a Democrat who was killed in an airplane crash.

"Politics has become a blood sport ... getting into power and doing nothing once you're there, and once you're out of power trying to prevent them from doing anything to make them look good,” he said. "It's turned into a game. And the people that suffer are the people in the center, and when are they going to have enough?”

Ivan Holmes, chairman of the state Democratic Party, said he believes the two-party political system works well, but concedes there are times when partisanship interferes with what's best for the country.

"We've not focused like we should have, both the Democrats and the Republicans,” he said. "I'm for any type of a move that discusses politics and the issues.”

An overflow crowd of more than 1,000 attended the session on the OU campus. The Catlett Music Center, which can accommodate 1,040, was considered full a few minutes before the forum's start.

Those who were still wanting to get in to the event were told to go across the street to an overflow area in the Rupel Jones Theatre.

Two fathers protest war
Those going to the forum who walked past Boyd and Elm passed by about 20 war protesters, several of whom held up signs opposing U.S. military action in Iraq.
Among them were two Oklahoma fathers whose sons were killed in Iraq.

Warren Henthorn of Choctaw and John Scripsick of Wayne each held a flag that read, "Lest they be forgotten.”

"Most people have kind of forgotten about the war,” said Scripsick, whose son, Bryan, was killed in September.

It's frustrating, he said, that presidential candidates have talked less in recent weeks about the war.

Henthorn, whose son, Jeffrey, was killed in 2005, said no end appears in sight for the war.

"We're approaching the five-year anniversary and we're still losing our troops over there,” he said.

Several politicians attended the forum, including Rep. Scott Martin, R-Norman.

"The national election's on everybody's mind, but for me, being a state representative, I'm concerned about our upcoming election and more importantly can we as a state rise above the partisanship ... to really do good work for the citizens of Oklahoma,” he said. "I think we can rise above the partisan bickering that goes on so much.”

ALSO AT THE FORUM
Joking aside ...

Football was a popular subject during the forum, as it was brought up four times during the hourlong event. It was expected with OU, a Big 12 football powerhouse, hosting the session that included politicians from conference rivals Texas and Nebraska.

University of Oklahoma President David Boren started the football comments by apologizing during his opening remarks that U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., was listed originally as being from Iowa.

The senator rose from his seat and joked, "I'm leaving.”

Former Texas Gov. Mark White said he reminded Boren that he went to Baylor University.

"We've never done a thing to hurt OU,” White said. "We don't come to Norman looking for linebackers; Baylor University comes to Norman looking for mercy.”

New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg noted OU never tried to schedule a football game with St. John's University, Fordham University, New York University or Columbia University.

"Maybe the New York teams are just too tough,” he said, as laughter turned to groans.

Bloomberg: Political system 'dysfunctional

Bloomberg: Political system 'dysfunctional
His remarks at a "bipartisan forum" fueled
new talk of a possible independent presidential bid.
By Jay Root
McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on Tue, Jan. 8, 2008

NORMAN, Okla. - On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg stirred some presidential talk of his own yesterday, calling the political system "dysfunctional."

While he declared again that he was "not a candidate," his appearance as the star guest at a "bipartisan forum" at the University of Oklahoma fueled new speculation that he soon would mount an independent bid for the White House.

Bloomberg's wealth, his flashy departure from the two-party system last summer, and his appearance here have made him the biggest wild card of the 2008 campaign.

"People have stopped working together," Bloomberg said at the gathering. "Government is dysfunctional. I think there's no accountability today. Nobody is holding themselves accountable to the standards of what they promised when they ran for office."

Bloomberg said voters wanted results, not ideological catering to special interests.

"What we want is people to be selected for government based on competency," he said.

Listening in the audience was Dean Barkley, the architect of Jesse Ventura's successful third-party run for governor in Minnesota. Barkley said Bloomberg "sounded more like a candidate than not," and he noted that the billionaire mayor's advisers were researching the possibility of an independent race.

"He's weighing his options," Barkley said. "I think Bloomberg is the kind of guy who will decide to run if he thinks he can win. He doesn't do anything to lose."

Whether there's a national appetite for an independent candidate this year is unclear.

Democratic candidate Barack Obama, an Illinois senator, has rocketed to the top of opinion polls in New Hampshire since his win last week in Iowa, where he preached an end to the type of partisan meltdown that inspired yesterday's meeting in Oklahoma.

Likewise, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who pulled off a stunning win in Iowa's Republican caucuses, has run as a Washington outsider willing to take unorthodox stands on taxes and social spending.

Bloomberg and other participants at the meeting acknowledged that there had been a call for national unity in the recent contests but expressed fears that it could evaporate.

"Maybe you are seeing that," Bloomberg said. "And if it was true of a few of the candidates, maybe . . . going forward during the months of January and February and March, each of them will do exactly the same thing."

Former Oklahoma Sen. David Boren, now president of the University of Oklahoma, was the chief organizer of the event. Boren, a Democrat, suggested that some of the candidates had been inspired to preach unity after hearing of the bipartisan call for it.

Also at the meeting were former Defense Secretary William Cohen and former New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman, both Republicans, and former Sens. Chuck Robb (D., Va.) and Gary Hart (D., Colo.).

Election laws are geared toward a two-party system, so any independent candidate would have an uphill organizational climb to get on the ballot in all 50 states.

But Bloomberg has not hesitated to use his vast wealth to advance his political career. He spent $74 million on his 2001 campaign for mayor, and an additional $85 million in his run for reelection, according to published reports.

Bloomberg says he won't run for president

Bloomberg says
he won't run for president
By Henry Goldman
Bloomberg News
Published: Tuesday, Jan. 8, 2008 12:58 a.m. MST

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a group of former elected officials and U.S. policymakers Monday he doesn't intend to seek the presidency and called for a bipartisan approach by the major party candidates.
The so-called group of 17 convened what it called a Bipartisan Forum at the University of Oklahoma, where its host, former Democratic U.S. Sen. David Boren, is president. It attracted national attention after Boren, 66, said he might support Bloomberg, 65, as an independent candidate for president if the major candidates failed to address key issues.

The meeting heightened speculation that it might be a step toward a Bloomberg candidacy. The billionaire businessman-turned-mayor renounced his Republican affiliation and became independent in June. Although he has said he intends to be mayor until his term ends in 2009, aides have promoted him as a potential third-party candidate.

"Look, I am not a candidate," Bloomberg said in answer to a reporter's question. "I'm a former businessman and a mayor. I think what has changed is that people have stopped working together. Government is dysfunctional. No one is holding themselves accountable to what they promised when they ran for office."

The emergence of Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois and Republican Senator John McCain as front-runners for their parties' nominations may undercut the rationale for a Bloomberg candidacy. Obama and McCain base their runs for the White House partly on appeals to independents.
In an interview after the gathering in Norman, Okla., Boren said he took Bloomberg at his word.

"Every indication I have is he does not have a burning desire to run for president of the United States," Boren said. "I think he hopes that the system will work without his having to do that."

The speculation has been fueled partly by Bloomberg's capacity to self-finance the entire campaign. The mayor, founder and majority owner of Bloomberg News parent Bloomberg LP, has wealth that Forbes magazine estimated at $11.5 billion in September.

In 2007, he often focused attention on global warming, illegal gun possession, education, public health and economic development as national and international issues.

Last week, Bloomberg placed newspaper ads in Iowa on the eve of the caucus and in New Hampshire challenging the presidential candidates to support increased penalties for criminal possession of handguns.

Bloomberg and Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Hagel, 61, of Nebraska are the only current officeholders among the group that met Monday and neither will be seeking re-election.

Bloomberg is barred by law from running for a third term. The others in the group include eight former senators, a former congressman, three former governors and a former United Nations ambassador.

"These are elders in both political parties who look at the system and find it appalling," said Washington-based pollster Peter Hart. "They're willing to go outside their traditional relationships because they see a country that's obviously in trouble."

Hart said polls his firm has conducted show low public approval ratings for the two major parties and anxiety about the direction of U.S. policy. While a third-party candidacy may be "almost inevitable," he said, it is bound to fail.

"I've never believed you'll get an independent president of the United States," Hart said. "But that doesn't mean it won't change the terms of the debate."

In a Dec. 18 letter, Boren and former Democratic U.S. Senator Sam Nunn of Georgia invited the participants to seek an end to "partisan polarization" that would help restore America's ability to lead in such areas as fighting terrorism, nuclear proliferation and climate change.

"Rampant partisanship has paralyzed the ability of our government to act," Nunn said.

Chris Lehane, a San Francisco-based Democratic political consultant who worked on Al Gore's 2000 campaign, questioned whether the bipartisan forum can have much impact without taking positions on specific issues.

"You can talk about the process being dysfunctional," he said. "But at the end of the day you are going to have enormous issues — Iraq, tax cuts for the rich, global warming — and so far the two parties, with some exceptions, have deep differences."

As for a Bloomberg candidacy, Lehane said, "He's done an extraordinary job in a place that's extraordinarily difficult to govern." But, he said, "you still have to wonder whether there's a road map to be able to win, or you end up as a spoiler."

E-mail: hgoldman@bloomberg.net

The "Ben-Gay forum" ?

EDITORIAL OBSERVER
Older Men (and Women)
Trying Not to Be Angry
By ELEANOR RANDOLPH
Published: January 8, 2008
Norman, Okla.

The bloggers, hardly the politest bunch, were calling the gathering of former and present officials on Monday at the University of Oklahoma the “Ben-Gay forum” — a nostalgia trip for oldies trying to creak their way back into electoral relevance.

Some of the more radical or wishful thinkers of the political crowd saw the session as something different: the possible beginning of a third party and another brick in the independent presidential bid by Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York.

Actually, it was neither.

It was more what David Boren, former senator from Oklahoma and now president of the university, called it: a gathering of 17 “outstanding public servants” who wanted to talk about more than Mr. Bloomberg’s supposed White House aspirations or a third party.

Call it idealism or a yearning for the past, but the participants wanted to talk about more than their legacies. They wanted to warn that “America is in danger” and urge the politicians of today to fulfill their basic obligations to the country, not the party or some sliver of an interest group or the lobbyist who forks over the most lucre.

And if some participants wanted to use the threat of an independent candidacy to get the attention of Republican and Democratic regulars, at this point that seems more a tactic than a solution.

Former Senator John Danforth, Republican of Missouri, told the enthusiastic crowd on Monday, the day before the New Hampshire primary, that each party has appealed too much to its “true believers” instead of appealing to the center. Former New Jersey Gov. Christie Todd Whitman said that it is up to voters to stop ceding ground to the fringes. Former Senator Chuck Robb, Democrat of Virginia, recalled, wistfully, meetings with Republican colleagues that aimed to find solutions to a big problem, not hunt for a “gotcha” to use against the other side.

For this group of political elders — two independents and the remainder split between the two parties — the fact that candidates in New Hampshire are chanting about change and Americans working together is just more evidence of the yearning out there to stop the narrow, divisive, expensive shenanigans in Washington.

This group wants the presidential hopefuls to offer specific ways to solve big problems like energy, health care and entitlements. They want candidates to promise “a truly bipartisan cabinet” and bipartisan working groups to talk about national defense, education and infrastructure.

Quixotic? Perhaps. It is easy to dismiss these lofty goals as impossible, even whimsical after eight years in which George W. Bush and Karl Rove devoted their political powers to dividing America on narrow emotional issues. But somebody should be saying what these veterans are saying. Congress does need to wear out carpet on the aisle between the two parties and thoughtful public leaders need to sit down in working groups to decide on the hard stuff instead of tearing each other apart on 24-hour television.

Before anyone, including these moderates, gives up on the two parties, it is worth thinking about what a third party could mean. A new independent party, with or without Mr. Bloomberg’s money, might siphon off moderate voters from the two main parties. If the independents did not succeed, which history suggests they would not, the main parties could wind up even more dominated by the screamers on both sides.

Right now, there is no third party and no candidate, just thoughtful people trying to get the political system to look at bigger ideas. In today’s political world, there is nothing wrong with that.

Bloomberg campaign would challenge Bloomberg News

Bloomberg campaign would
challenge Bloomberg News

BY MELANIE LEFKOWITZ | melanie.lefkowitz@newsday.com
January 8, 2008

Michael Bloomberg at a bipartisan summit in Oklahoma, reported speculation about whether he plans to run for president has reached a fever pitch. But such speculation is scarce at the news service that bears his name.

Bloomberg News, the 18-year-old international news organization that's part of the financial media empire he built from scratch, already treads a fine line in covering its principle owner in his current incarnation as New York City mayor. According to its policy, Bloomberg News reporters do not write any stories that are based on rumors and speculation, and so have only cited other news stories about Bloomberg's possible presidential aspirations.

Media critics, ethics experts and Bloomberg insiders agree, however, that the impact of a Bloomberg candidacy on Bloomberg News could be formidable. "It would be novel, to say the least," said Matt Winkler, Bloomberg News' editor in chief. "It would limit some of the things that we would do about him and as a result limit some of the things we do about others, because we couldn't play favorites in this, and we couldn't skew coverage in one way and not another way."

For instance, Winkler said, Bloomberg News would be unlikely to do an investigation into some aspect of Michael Bloomberg, which would then keep it from doing such stories about other candidates.

When Bloomberg was elected mayor of New York, the news agency hired the then-dean of Columbia University's journalism school, Tom Goldstein, as a consultant to help ensure fair coverage. Winkler said Goldstein remains a consultant on various issues, including coverage of Michael Bloomberg.

Potential conflicts of interest between reporters and the owners of their news companies are nothing new. Publishers large and small frequently have involvement in politics, and many reporters - particularly business reporters - have experience covering their employers. It can be done fairly, experts say, but it takes vigilance.

"He should be treated like any other politician," said Bob Steele, an ethics expert at the Poynter Institute. "You cannot remove entirely the perception that there are competing interests, but you can manage those competing interests in ways that significantly protect the journalistic integrity."

Though Bloomberg News has been covering Mayor Bloomberg for more than six years, the far higher prominence of a presidential candidate could present a whole new set of challenges for an international news organization expected to cover the campaign comprehensively, said Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota.

"The news media these days are already accused of partisanship and bias, and it's going to be very difficult to avoid the, frankly, perfectly reasonable belief that Bloomberg journalists are going to be expected to support their owner," Kirtley said. "The only thing I can think of that's going to make it possible is the buzzword of the era, which is transparency."

Winkler said that he does not believe reporting on New York City has suffered, partly because Bloomberg News prepared for the issues of a Bloomberg Administration during the mayoral race. A presidential campaign would also require strategizing, he said, but added, "Every problem's an opportunity."