NPR - Politicians Build Roster for Possible Third-Party Run

Politicians Build Roster for
Possible Third-Party Run

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All Things Considered, January 4, 2008 · Some big names in politics — Republicans, Democrats and Independents — are getting together to talk about the possible need for a third-party candidate in the presidential election this year.

Former Sen. Sam Nunn and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg are among the people attending the conference. Another is former Sen. David Boren, who is now the president of University of Oklahoma. That's where the Bipartisan Conference will be Jan. 7.

Boren talks with Melissa Block about the meeting.

Bloomberg moves the goalposts

Bloomberg moves the goalposts

Posted January 5th, 2008 at 12:45 pm

On Monday, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will sit down for an undefined meeting at the University of Oklahoma, apparently as the precursor to a presidential campaign. Bloomberg will be joined by a bipartisan group of former (and a couple of current) elected officials, including Dems such as former senators Sam Nunn (Ga.), Charles S. Robb (Va.), David Boren (Okla.), and Gary Hart (Colo.). Republicans will include Sen. Chuck Hagel (Neb.), former party chairman Bill Brock, former senator John Danforth (Mo.) and former New Jersey Gov. Christine Todd Whitman.

What’s less clear, exactly, is the point. As of last week, Bloomberg’s group insisted that they’d move forward with plans of a third-party presidential campaign unless Democrats and Republicans “refocus” their campaigns” on “a bipartisan approach.” Approach to what? They didn’t say. All we could get out of them was their stated desire to see the major parties “formally embrace bipartisanship.”

At least, that was the first demand. This week, Iowans threw a bit of a monkey wrench into the Bloomberg plan by backing two candidates who talk constantly about “bringing people together,” and rejecting the parties’ establishment. Barack Obama, like John Edwards and Bill Richardson, has even talked about having Republicans in his cabinet. It should be music to the ears of Bloomberg and his cohorts.

Apparently, though, it’s not. Now that the parties are talking more and more about bipartisanship, Bloomberg has decided he has a new complaint.

[I]n a morning radio call-in program, Mr. Bloomberg continued to assert that the leading candidates for president had failed to be specific enough in their proposed solutions for the nation’s problems. He also discussed a University of Oklahoma conference he plans to attend this weekend, at which participants expect to call for the candidates to renounce what the mayor called “partisan bickering.”

I didn’t think it was possible, but this little endeavor seems to be getting more annoying as time goes on.

Candidates are supposed to “renounce” bickering? What is this, fourth grade?

What’s more, this notion that the candidates haven’t been “specific enough” is foolish for two reasons. First, at least on the Democratic side, the candidates have been extremely specific about policy matters, issuing white papers and posting detailed proposals on their websites.

Second, hearing Bloomberg complain about specificity in the presidential campaign is quite ironic. His little group that’s getting together has offered “specific” concerns that they want candidates to emphasize, such as “rebuild and reconfigure our military forces.”

The bottom line is that Bloomberg and his partners don’t seem to have a coherent vision for anything, except bipartisanship for bipartisanship’s sake. If they have constructive policy ideas, terrific; they should certainly be encouraged to be part of the public debate.

But that’s not what we’re seeing here. It’s a pointless exercise that’s had two rationales in as many weeks.

Greg Sargent makes a very good case that it’s time to stop giving Bloomberg the attention he craves.

Look, at a certain point, we should start asking ourselves whether this stunt deserves any more attention. Many of the major candidates are offering detailed solutions to the country’s problems. When Bloomberg falsely says none of them are, he’s just playing a different rendition of the same tired old tune that has it that only a “nonpartisan” leader can solve our problems. The idea is that there’s no way any of the ideas harbored by these candidates can be any good, since they all belong to the major political parties, which we already know are the cause of all our problems because David Broder and Mike Bloomberg told us so.

Really, until Bloomberg declares that he’s running for president, and until his criticism has genuine specificity, what he has to say about the presidential hopefuls just isn’t news anymore.

Quite right. Maybe if Bloomberg and his friends have something constructive say, they can get back to the rest of us. Until then, this whole endeavor has the look and feel of a sideshow.

Bloomberg Slams Candidates – Again

Bloomberg Slams Candidates
– Again –
Following Iowa Caucuses

January 04, 2008

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is urging the presidential candidates to get down to brass tacks in the wake of the Iowa caucuses and talk more about their plans for the country's future.

"I would just like to get them to address the important issues with more specificity of what they'd actually to do of solve the problem of who is going to pay for healthcare, what we are going to do overseas, how we are going to keep our economy – which appears to be slowing down – how we are going to get that going again?” he said.

The mayor made his comments Friday on his weekly radio program, during which he also said people shouldn't read too much into the results of the caucuses.

While the mayor has repeatedly said he has no interest in running for the White House, his aides have kept the political rumor mill grinding. On Monday, the mayor is attending a bipartisan forum at the University of Oklahoma which will be attended by several political heavy-hitters.

And while, he may not be a candidate for president, on the day and night of the Iowa caucuses, voters across the country saw plenty of Bloomberg, making the rounds on national talk shows.

After appearing on the “Today” show earlier in the day Thursday, the mayor made a surprise appearance on the CBS “Late Show with David Letterman” to present the newly-bearded host with a key to the city.

Bloomberg: I just wanted to drop by to pay you a special tribute.

Letterman: Thank you very much.

Bloomberg: And I wanted to present a key to the city.

Letterman: Oh thank you sir.

Bloomberg: No, it's not for you.

Letterman: Oh, not for me?

Bloomberg: This is not for you. It's for your beard!

Bloomberg was also seen Thursday night in a cameo appearance on the latest edition of Donald Trump's "Apprentice."

Programing Note: NY1 Political reporter Michael Scotto will be traveling with the mayor and will be filing reports from the field.