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-Hagel ticket increasingly unlikely

Bloomberg-Hagel ticket increasingly unlikely
By SARA KUGLER

NEW YORK - The possibility of Sen. Chuck Hagel joining Mayor Michael Bloomberg on an independent presidential ticket seems to be dimming, with Bloomberg distancing himself on Monday from the Nebraska Republican.

The New York Times reported Saturday about a conversation one of its reporters had last week with Hagel, during which Hagel confirmed he had spoken with Bloomberg in the past about possibly being the billionaire's running mate.

The story contained no direct quotes but paraphrased Hagel as saying the rise of John McCain as the GOP nominee essentially closes Bloomberg's window of opportunity to jump in the race because of McCain's appeal to independents and moderates.

Asked Monday about Hagel's claim that the two have discussed running together, Bloomberg flatly denied that any conversation about those topics ever took place, and portrayed his relationship with Hagel as a distant one.

"I have met him a couple of times ... and I never talked to him once about being the candidate, and certainly not about who, if I were to run, which I'm not, who you would pick," Bloomberg said. "We just never had that conversation."

Hagel's chief of staff, Mike Buttry, said later Monday that the senator's conversation with Times contributor John Harwood had been "overplayed."

Buttry said Hagel did not tell the Times that he had been asked to run with Bloomberg _ he only said the two had had "general conversations."

Times spokeswoman Diane McNulty said "we stand by what John Harwood reported Chuck Hagel told him."

The Bloomberg-Hagel speculation began last May when Bloomberg and Hagel shared a not-so-secret dinner in Washington. Then, Hagel said in a television interview that it was time for a third-party candidacy to shake things up. He also mused about the idea of him and Bloomberg running together.

"It's a great country to think about _ a New York boy and a Nebraska boy to be teamed up leading this nation," Hagel said last spring.

The pair met up again for dinner last November in Manhattan, have spoken occasionally by phone, and were together for a bipartisan summit last month in Oklahoma.

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.

Unity isn't all it's cracked up to be

Unity isn't all it's cracked up to be

Even a consensus-building, problem-solving president
can't solve political gridlock.

By Ezra Klein
January 27, 2008

It's been a tough-fought campaign, with lots of strong candidates and piles of good ideas. But I think I've made my decision. I'm supporting the candidate of division. Frankly, I've got unity fatigue.

That seems to be one of the chief buzzwords of this election. Unity. Barack Obama invokes it more frequently than John Edwards mentions "mills." My in-box, meanwhile, has only recently recovered from the torrent of messages sent by "Unity '08," a collection of political has-beens and never-weres who kept promising that if I would only click right here, I could use the power of the Internet to create a bipartisan presidential ticket that would solve problems ranging from the healthcare crisis to global warming.

How exactly would they solve them? Single-payer healthcare? A carbon tax? They never said. But they promised that whatever they chose, it would be bipartisan, and I'm not a partisan, am I?

Unity '08 has, thankfully, dissolved. But the dream lives on. Two of its founders have wandered off to create a "Draft Michael Bloomberg" movement because, if you don't count Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani, this presidential cycle suffers from a dearth of rich technocrats from New York. To be fair though, it's not just the ZIP Code that qualifies him for the job. "He's not an ideologue," enthuses Gerald Rafshoon, a former Jimmy Carter aide who's running the We Like Mike movement. "He's a problem solver. He has also run things."

Ah, yes, "a problem solver," the close cousin of the unifier. Mitt Romney's a problem solver too, or so he tells me. Clinton says she's in "the solutions business." Who could be against that? An end to problems. It's a vision we could, dare I say it, unite around.

What accounts for all this talk of unity and bipartisanship and non-ideological problem solving? Speechwriters have no end of hoary terms of uplift to choose from. There's "individualism" and "family," "values" and "faith." So why are unity and competence so crucial to this year's message?

The short answer is that the candidates have no other choice. Washington these days is rived by partisanship, but that's not necessarily anything new or even particularly worrisome. In Washington, partisanship is like the San Francisco fog; it rolls in, hangs out for a while, and everyone goes about their business. The problem is, in this case, it's created total, impenetrable gridlock.

So, though elections are usually about what is to be done, this campaign has been unusually focused on whether it is in fact possible to get anything done. That's why you have Clinton touting her governmental experience and legislative skill, Obama emphasizing his unifying presence and talent for achieving consensus, Romney reminding voters that he once rendered the Olympics profitable, Unity '08 swearing that all we need is a bipartisan ticket, Bloomberg promising to be as good at governing as he was at getting rich, and so on and so on.

The problem is that hearing all these presidential hopefuls pledge to end gridlock is a bit like having a friend promise to fix my toilet by checking under the hood of my car. Analytically, it's misguided. Now, fish have to swim, and candidates have to over-promise, so let's grant that they may not believe all their own hype. But at the same time, we shouldn't ignore the essential incoherence at the heart of these arguments:

Gridlock is not something the president of the United States can solve. Political gridlock begins in the U.S. Senate, but we keep trying to end it in the White House. There is no potential executive in either party who would not like to manifest his or her agenda by sheer force of will. But in reality, President Mike Bloomberg would be as stymied as President Hillary Clinton or President Mitt Romney, because you don't get a doctor's note exempting you from the legislative process just because you ran, or even govern, as an independent. If you don't believe me, ask Arnold Schwarzenegger, the classic post-partisan unifier who couldn't attract a single Republican vote for his centrist health plan when it went before the Assembly.

Gridlock isn't a mystery. It's not some sort of untraceable crime. It happens live on C-SPAN every day of the week. It's a function of the rules of the Senate, where 40 senators can refuse to end debate on legislation and thus doom its chances of passage. Because of the undemocratic nature of the Senate, which gives Montana as many senators as California, those 40 senators can represent as little as 11.2% of the population.

This is the power of the filibuster, and it used to be a rarely invoked power, as the culture of the Senate prized compromise and consensus. In the 1977-78 congressional term, for instance, there were only 13 filibusters. Ten years later, there were 43. Ten years after that, there were 53. The Democrats used the tactic plenty when they were in the opposition a couple of years ago, but now that they're in power, it is the Republicans who are having a filibuster party. If they maintain their current pace, they'll have filibustered a full 134 times this term, more than doubling any other year on record. It's obstructionism on a truly historic scale.

Add to that obstructionist minority a divided government (the White House controlled by one party, Congress by another), the tensions of an ongoing war and a lame-duck president with no chosen successor and thus little concern for his plummeting popularity, and you have a moment that laughs at legislative progress. That's why the presidential campaign has become so focused on "getting things done."

But it's not up to the president. There are a variety of fixes for a filibuster-happy minority. The media, for example, could start accurately reporting the cause of the gridlock, shaming the relevant senators and increasing political pressure to compromise. The voters could eject politicians who refuse to compromise, laying down an electorally enforced preference for a functioning government. The Senate majority could change the rules, essentially eliminating the filibuster. Groups such as Unity '08 could arise and, rather than wasting everyone's time with idle fantasies of ever more dreamy executives, could campaign against Senate rules that are undemocratic and hostile to progress.

But the president can't do this, not on his or her own. Unity means nothing in the face of obstructionism, and problems can't be solved if legislators refuse to solve them.

Ezra Klein is a staff writer at the American Prospect. His blog can be found at EzraKlein.com.

MacKay lays groundwork for Bloomberg bid

Brand: MacKay lays groundwork
for Bloomberg bid

Rick Brand
January 27, 2008

Fueling the presidential fever, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg lately has crisscrossed the country in high-profile stops, among them pitching public works projects with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

While Bloomberg is jetting about, Suffolk and State Independence Party chairman Frank MacKay, complete with his rattail coif and earring, is also on the road, but to far less notice.

Since September, MacKay says he has driven to 35 states and dropped 35 pounds along the way. His mission is to stitch together a patchwork of ragtag reform, independent and enviro-third parties to try to clear the way to the ballot for a potential Bloomberg presidential run.

While Ross Perot's former campaign manager Clay Mulford last week in Texas warned Bloomberg of the "terrible impediments" to getting on the ballot, MacKay has no doubt about the mayor's prospects.

"I guarantee you if he runs, he will be on the ballot in all 50 states," said MacKay. "What we're doing is laying the groundwork and we'll get him three-quarters of the way there with volunteers."

"Bloomberg would be our ideal candidate," said MacKay. "We're about giving the public another major choice who can speak directly with the public."

MacKay added he "doesn't give a damn about social issues" like school prayer and abortion because they have skewed the public debate. "The right wing and left wing have interfered so heavily with the candidates, you don't know where the real person is any more."

Within New York, MacKay has made himself a force by the relentless strategizing that he freely imparts to all sides, from Gov. Eliot Spitzer to Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno. Statewide, his party has 344,000 registered voters, though party officials admit many have no idea they belong to an organized party.

Locally, MacKay first made a mark helping Thomas Spota win his Suffolk district attorney's job and still exerts influence that far exceeds his party's numbers.

"No one should ever underestimate Frank," said Edward Walsh, Suffolk Conservative chairman. "If you look at his rattail and earring one minute, the next thing you know he's five steps ahead of you."

MacKay has also made missteps - his largest was failing to back Suffolk's Democratic County Executive Steve Levy in 2003. His bid to float Donald Trump's name for president also sunk like a stone.

Undeterred, MacKay last September went national, forming the Independence Party of America and making himself chairman. It's a vehicle he hopes Bloomberg will use in a potential run. MacKay, however, emphasizes that he is working separately from the mayor, though he admits frequent contact with top Bloomberg operative Kevin Sheekey.

MacKay has also become executive director of the Reform Party of America, another remnant of Perot's presidential runs in 1992 and 1996, which will give MacKay's new party instant ballot access in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Kansas.

Just last week, MacKay also drove cross country, holding meetings in seven states on his way to Minnesota, where the state Independence Party elected professional wrestler Jesse Ventura governor in 1999. That party voted at a state convention yesterday to join MacKay's new organization.

At first, Diane Goldman, a Minnesota party vice chairwoman, said she thought MacKay was "a Don Quixote chasing windmills." But now, she has come around: "He's a real go-getter, a salesman and very capable."

While billionaire Bloomberg may still have to finance massive petition-gathering operations in states including California, Texas and North Carolina, MacKay's efforts, backers say, will assure not only far easier ballot access, but better positions on November's ballot.

"In Florida, it's the difference between having the fourth spot on the ballot or the 26th," said Thomas Connolly, the new party's director for ballot access. "If you're that far down, you're only going to be elected mayor of Munchkinland."

Could there be a candidate Bloomberg in the wings ?

Could there be a candidate
Bloomberg in the wings ?

NYC mayor has money, ideas,
and maybe an opening

By JONATHAN CAPEHART

If you thought Sen. Barack Obama's victory in the Iowa caucuses was historic and Sen. Hillary Clinton's outta-nowhere win in the New Hampshire primary extraordinary, then be prepared to gasp once again if New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg announces a bid for the White House.

That's because the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent would announce not only his own candidacy but also that of his running mate. A source close to the impending Bloomberg presidential effort told me, "If Mike Bloomberg were to petition to get on the ballot, it would be easier to do so with a vice presidential candidate."

Let me disclose that I worked on Bloomberg's first campaign for mayor, in 2001. I mention this because, while the campaign didn't officially kick off until June of that year, my informal work on it began in mid-February. So I asked the Bloomberg operative if past is prologue: "Is it safe to assume you guys are already interviewing and vetting a No. 2 for Bloomberg?" He said, "That's a fair assumption on your part."

A Bloomberg presidential run looked much more doubtful just a few days ago, when everyone, including Clinton herself, thought the charismatic senator from Illinois would run off with the New Hampshire primary. That Obama's tidal wave out of Iowa smacked up against the stone walls of the Granite State means the billionaire mayor's White House hunt is back on track. Last week, news broke that Bloomberg has been quietly compiling months of polling and voter data to assess his presidential chances. And Doug Schoen, a key adviser and strategist from the mayor's two campaigns, told the Los Angeles Times last weekend, "Bloomberg is going to spend the next two months doing an assessment of his prospects."

Just whom Team Bloomberg has met with about joining the ticket is not known. But Sen. Chuck Hagel, R-Neb., and former Sen. Sam Nunn, D-Ga., have been mentioned frequently. The vetting is going on because the calendar demands such a bold move.

People around Bloomberg have said that if he were to pull the trigger on an Oval Office run, it would happen sometime around March 5. That's when the petitioning process to get on the ballot in Texas begins. He would need 74,108 signatures by May 12 for an independent run in that state. According to Richard Winger of Ballot Access News, if Bloomberg instead accepted the nomination of the Reform or Texas Independence parties, which have filed their intention to petition with the Texas secretary of state, he would have an additional week to gather only 43,991 signatures.

For the major parties, under normal circumstances, getting on a state's ballot can be difficult. For an independent challenger, the obstacles are even greater. Usually such a candidate is underfunded and out-lawyered. That wouldn't be a worry for Bloomberg, who could spend $1 billion of his own money.

And by having a running mate at the outset, rather than waiting until the late summer, when the Democrats and Republicans will nominate their presidential and vice presidential candidates, Bloomberg would be saved the headache of going back to all those states to amend the ballots to include his No. 2.

The independent mayor has used his own jet to go from one high-profile forum to another to cultivate an image of nonpartisan success. The latest example was last Monday's meeting hosted by University of Oklahoma president and former Sen. David Boren, D-Okla., along with Hagel, Nunn and other possible vice presidential choices. All present decried Washington's partisan gridlock. Bloomberg didn't say much and didn't take questions from the media.

I'll take Bloomberg at his word that he is not running. Those close to him say he truly hasn't made up his mind. But this flurry of activity around him squares with my knowledge of the mayor as a deliberative chief executive who takes in as much information as possible before making a decision — even as subordinates stir the presidential pot.

Capehart is a member of the editorial page staff of The Washington Post.

Bloomberg's Quiet Canvassing of Silicon Valley

Michael Bloomberg's Quiet
Canvassing of Silicon Valley

Peter Burrows on January 23

It turns out Michael Bloomberg has been quietly courting Silicon Valley regarding a possible run at the US presidency—and that Silicon Valley, or at least a few of its moguls, is impressed.

BusinessWeek has learned that New York’s billionaire mayor was guest of honor at a dinner last summer at the home of private equity baron Sandy Robertson, of Francisco Partners. Attendees included Google CEO Sergey Brin, Software.com’s Marc Benioff, venture capitalist Michael Moritz from Sequoia Partners and Bob Fisher, the CEO of the Gap. (This might fill in at least one day on the calendar of New York deputy mayor for government affairs Andrew Sheekey, who helped arrange the event. Sheekey is also considered Bloomberg’s top political advisor, and publications including the New York Times have been seeking his travel records for months to get a better read on the mayor’s intentions.)

For the most part, it was a fact-finding mission by Bloomberg. “He wasn’t asking for anything. He was there to meet people, and understand how people on the West Coast [were] thinking about life,” says my source. But attendees seemed impressed as Bloombeg ticked off his accomplishments in the Big Apple—from the improved bond rating to green initiatives such as a plan to plant a million trees. He also seemed to make points with his argument that the two-party system is unlikely to solve America’s most difficult problems. He said a third party was the best way to “solve pragmatic issues,” recalls my source.

Fisher, in particular, was bullish, and at one point during the meal made “a passionate plea” for Bloomberg to throw his hat into the ring. Fisher, who didn’t return a phone call seeking comment, promised to help drum up support for Bloomberg in the Bay Area. Another tech heavyweight who has heard Bloomberg’s pitch also expressed hopes that he would run. “We need somebody to dig us out of the mess we’re in. It’s about competence,” the source told BusinessWeek last month.

Bloomberg wasn’t done taking the pulse of tech-land. In December, he made a return visit that included a one-on-one session with Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

With the world’s financial markets sputtering—and with the campagin of the most pro-business candidate, Mitt Romney, sputtering as well—I’d guess Bloomberg would find Silicon Valley to be fairly friendly territory were he to join the race.

Expert says hard for Bloomberg to get on ballots

Expert says hard for
Bloomberg to get on ballots

BY KARLA SCHUSTER | karla.schuster@newsday.com
January 23, 2008

Mayor Michael Bloomberg "has what it takes" to wage a credible, competitive bid for the White House, but the billionaire mayor would face "terrible impediments" in getting on the ballot in all 50 states, according to Ross Perot's former campaign manager.

"I think the country is ready ... and he has what it takes - he's socially liberal, economically conservative and financially prepared," said Clay Mulford, an attorney and ballot access expert who met with the mayor in Texas last week. "I think it would be a positive thing if he did run, but the hurdles are incredible."

Mulford, a Dallas attorney who helped run Perot's independent presidential campaigns in 1992 and 1996, is a ballot-access expert who is now chief operating officer of a nonprofit education organization called the National Math and Science Initiative.

The two men initially discussed the work being done by Mulford's education group, but also talked about the byzantine ballot-access laws in many states, which Mulford described "as a mishmash of crazy rules designed to keep people off the ballot.

"We discussed some issues involving the nature of independent candidacies ... and how to overcome the unlevel and unfair playing field, but only in the most general terms," Mulford said yesterday in a phone interview. "He expressed no intention to run for president as an independent."

Mulford and Bloomberg lunched privately in Austin Friday, after the mayor appeared with Lance Armstrong and former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona at a hospital.

"We talked about a lot of things," Bloomberg said yesterday when asked about the meeting. "We talked about the political scene in the country. He has the view of a Texas resident and someone who had been involved with politics. It was actually fascinating to listen to his views of the world."

Asked if he would consider working for a Bloomberg campaign, Mulford said only: "I'm very busy with math and science in public schools."

Bloomberg has insisted he is not a candidate for president, even as his aides conduct national polls to handicap his chances. Key aides have suggested the mayor would spend more than $1 billion if he ran.

"Money alone can't do it," Mulford warned, citing the ballot-access rules in his own state as an example. To get on the ballot in Texas, an independent candidate must collect 75,000 signatures between March 5 and May 12 from residents who didn't vote in a primary.

"Seventy-five thousand signatures in two months is a very difficult task unless there's a groundswell of support," he said.

Una Clarke: Bloomberg Too Late for '08, But Not for 2010

Una Clarke:
Bloomberg Too Late for '08,
But Not for 2010
BY AZI PAYBARAH | JANUARY 21, 2008

Here’s former City Council member and current Brooklyn powerbroker Una Clarke, telling me it’s too late for Michael Bloomberg to jump into the presidential race.

“I think it’s far-fetched. I think he can be a real good player to keep people honest,” she said.

When I asked her about Bloomberg possibly running for governor - which, according to this Siena poll, is feasible - Clarke said, “That’s not a bad thing. That’s not a bad thing.”

Bloomberg, In Texas, Meets With Former Perot Staffer

Bloomberg, In Texas, Meets With Former Perot Staffer
January 18, 2008


Mayor Michael Bloomberg is once again fueling speculation about a possible presidential run after a meeting with Ross Perot's former campaign manager.

The mayor met privately with Clay Mulford during his trip to Texas Friday. Mulford, a ballot access expert, helped Perot throughout his 1992 and 1996 third-party presidential campaigns.

While in the Lone Star state, Bloomberg also toured a hospital for the launch of a nationwide cancer initiative, where he joined cyclist Lance Armstrong and former surgeon general Richard Carmona.

Reporters at the hospital asked him once again about a possible presidential run.

"I don't know why you're asking me this question," Bloomberg replied. "I just said I'm not a candidate and I couldn't be clearer. Which of the words do you not understand? People have urged me to do it, but I am not a candidate, so that's where it is. Let's take some questions that can add to the discourse."

On Saturday the mayor will be in California, where he'll meet with Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell.

Bloomberg makes plans to run but waits for outcome of primaries

Bloomberg makes plans to
run but waits for outcome
of primaries

Ewen MacAskill
Saturday January 19, 2008
The Guardian

The multibillionaire businessman and mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, is pushing ahead with plans to throw himself into the US presidential contest as an independent candidate this spring.
Bloomberg, who has a personal fortune that would allow him to mount the most expensive campaign in US political history, could seriously damage the chances of the Democratic candidate.

Bloomberg is waiting to see the outcome of the Republican and Democratic races before deciding whether to announce his candidacy in March. But his staff want him to run and there is a blueprint drawn up for contesting the 50 states.

Journalists who cover Bloomberg, a member of the Democratic party before switching to the Republicans - from which he has now also resigned - say that if Barack Obama is the Democratic choice, he will not stand. The same is true if John McCain, the most moderate of the Republican field, wins his party's nomination.
Bloomberg, while denying he intends to run, spent this week raising his political profile. He used the annual state of the city address on Thursday to make the usual city-specific announcements, such as 500 more beds for the homeless, but also to talk about national issues, such as immigration, tax relief and crime.

He is travelling to other states to raise his political profile and to engage in national policy debates. Yesterday he visited Texas to make a health announcement with the Tour de France hero and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong. Today, he will be appearing in California for a meeting with the governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, to discuss infrastructure.

Although it has been confirmed he is paying out millions to pollsters to test support in the 50 states for a presidential run, he snapped at a reporter who questioned him this week about whether he would be a candidate. "Miss, no matter how many times you ask the question, I'm not a candidate. That's the answer. I can't go into nitpicking. This is ridiculous," he said.

Independents have never won in recent US political history but they have influenced the contests. Ralph Nader, who ran as an independent in 2000, is often blamed for taking votes from Al Gore and allowing victory to George Bush.

Ross Perot, who stood in 1992, spending $65m, had a disastrous campaign but still managed to win 18.9% of the popular vote.

Larry Sabato, professor of politics at the University of Virginia, said a Bloomberg run could have enormous influence.

"Normally, independents do not have much impact but this one is worth between $11bn and $20bn and he would be willing to spend at least $1bn [about £510m] on this. If he spends a billion, he would have outspent the Democratic and Republican candidates combined. It is bound to have an impact."

Stephen Hess, a political analyst at the Brookings Institution who served in the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations and was an adviser to presidents Ford and Carter, said yesterday that he would be surprised if he stood, given the risk that he would prevent a Democrat taking the White House.

"I know he is considering the race. I think he has been a great mayor and philanthropist and I do not know why he would want to go down in history as the Great Spoiler," Hess said.

Bloomberg Meets With Ballot Expert

Bloomberg Meets With Ballot Expert
By SARA KUGLER

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg met Friday with the ballot access expert and campaign manager for H. Ross Perot's third-party presidential bid, a sign of the multibillionaire's seriousness about a possible independent run.

Bloomberg met privately with Clay Mulford, who is well-versed in third-party ballot access and served as campaign manager for Perot, according to an individual close to the mayor. Perot sought the presidency in 1992 and 1996. The lunch meeting with Mulford comes less than two months before Bloomberg would be able to start gathering signatures to get on the ballot and meet Texas' early deadline.

If Bloomberg wants a chance at winning the state's large slice of electoral votes — 34 — he would need to collect about 74,100 signatures by May 12, and cannot begin circulating petitions here until March 5. Not only does he have a short window to petition, the signatures need to be from Texas residents who did not vote in a party primary.
Earlier Friday, during a news conference, Bloomberg was asked about the significance of being in Texas, with its early ballot deadline. He seemed irritated with the question, having said only a moment earlier that he is "not a candidate" despite all the calls for him to run.

"I just said, I'm not a candidate — it couldn't be clearer," he said. "Which of the words do you not understand? People have urged me to do it but I'm not a candidate."
Despite his public denials, Bloomberg has been consulting with people such as Mulford and is conducting a sophisticated analysis of voter data in all 50 states to better understand his chances as a third-party candidate. Aides have said he would delay a decision until after the major parties produce clear front-runners.

Making a move in Texas is not easy. Ballot access is notoriously difficult in the state, according to independent political strategist Dean Barkley, who managed Kinky Friedman's independent gubernatorial campaign here in 2006.

"Texas is your biggest problem, and it starts on March 5, so if he's going to do it, he's going to have to start fairly soon organizing the effort," Barkley said.
Friedman's campaign spent six months organizing for their petition drive, he said.
Mulford, who was formerly a partner with the law firm Jones Day, was general counsel and campaign manager for Perot's 1992 bid and in 1996 was general counsel to the Reform Party and Perot's campaign.

Earlier in the day, Bloomberg appeared at an Austin hospital to talk health care with Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor and seven-time Tour de France champion cyclist. Armstrong is an emerging political power in Texas, and any hint that he's supporting Bloomberg would lend credence to the mayor's prospective campaign and signature-gathering efforts.

Armstrong was a key figure in the state getting a large cancer-research bond issue passed and he has dabbled in national politics with his televised cancer forums for presidential candidates. He might even make a good running mate for Bloomberg; the mayor on Friday suggested Armstrong has what it takes to lead.

"He's exactly the kind of person we need," Bloomberg said.

Armstrong spoke just as warmly about the mayor.

"I'm sure there's a lot of questions about whether he's in or not in, but at the end of the day, he's representing an independent agenda and the best interests of the people," Armstrong said.

The event at Brackenridge Hospital focused on a national plan to deal with cancer. Also attending was former surgeon general Richard Carmona, who leads a coalition of health groups trying to get presidential candidates to talk about chronic health issues.

Carmona, who served from 2002 to 2006 under President Bush, also leads the Surgeons General Collective, an independent body composed of previous U.S. surgeons general. On Friday, he said the group — at Armstrong's request — will develop a call to action focused on preventing and surviving cancer.

"The need and urgency to make cancer prevention and survivorship a national priority should be clear to all of us, but the level of action and progress is not nearly what it should be," Carmona said.

Carmona has not said which candidate he favors in the 2008 presidential race. He has said the coalition, The Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease, also will not make an endorsement.

He did say that Bloomberg is "setting an example, really, for the rest of the nation."
Bloomberg, a billionaire philanthropist who has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to public health causes, said health issues are sadly lacking national leadership.

His City Hall administration has focused more on personal behavior as its approach to public health policy; during his first term he banned smoking citywide, and recently, the city outlawed trans-fats and created the official New York City condom to promote safer sexual behavior.

"If we could get people to stop smoking and exercise and to eat healthy, we would reduce the medical costs in this country quite significantly," he said, "and we could have a more intelligent discussion about how we provide care, which is fast outstripping our ability to pay for it."

Bloomberg's trip was to continue Saturday in California, where he was to appear with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at an event on infrastructure.

New Bloomberg Moves Raise Political Eyebrows

New Bloomberg Moves Raise Political Eyebrows
By Keith B. Richburg

NEW YORK -- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg continues to insist he is not a candidate for president, but these days his every word, his moves and his travel schedule are being dissected and parsed like a Talmudic text.

This week, it was learned that Bloomberg has entrusted the management of his personal fortune -- estimated at $11 billion -- to his friend, the financier Steven Rattner, of the Quadrangle Group. The selection raised eyebrows in New York because Rattner is a strong backer of New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Rattner contributed the maximum $4,600 to Clinton's campaign, and has hosted a series of events for her.

But the decision, allowed by the City Conflicts of Interest Board, stirred interest for another reason; having a high-powered financier in charge of his investments allows Bloomberg to expand his wealth, and possibly free up money for a self-financed, independent presidential run.

Also this week, City Hall announced that Bloomberg would be traveling this weekend to Texas and California -- both vote-rich states that the billionaire mayor might be targeting if he is trying to assemble the 270 electoral votes needed to forge a victory in November.

In Texas, Bloomberg will be meeting with former Tour de France cycling champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong, and a former U.S. surgeon general, Richard Carmona. From there, Bloomberg heads to California, for an announcement in Los Angeles about infrastructure projects with California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

And today was Bloomberg's annual State of the City speech. There was the typical laundry list of local issues -- 500 more beds for the homeless, improving the food quality in city hospitals and senior care facilities, coordinating government computers. But at a time when the city is facing reduced revenues, with the end of the real estate boom and a bear market on Wall Street, what stood out was Bloomberg's pledge to reduce spending and follow through on a promised property tax rebate to all homeowners, steps that solidify his reputation as a sound fiscal manager.

"It's all part of the striptease -- show 'em a little, then take it away," said Douglas Muzzio, a political science professor at Baruch College in New York. "The State of the City address can fit into that pattern. He's promising tax relief and spending cuts. It all seems part of the laying of the groundwork, and keeping his options open."

Despite his repeated denials, Bloomberg has continued to fuel speculation about a possible presidential run, flying to Oklahoma on the eve of the New Hampshire primary to attend a forum on bipartisanship, and then paying pollster Douglas Schoen millions of dollars to assess the feasibility of a presidential run and his chances of winning.

A mayoral aide insists this is all just part of the kind of typical planning Bloomberg likes to do as a businessman -- gathering all the facts and data to have at hand before making a commitment. Once all the data is in, the aide said, the first question would be whether Bloomberg could win, and the second question would be whether he wants the intense scrutiny and loss of privacy that would come with being a candidate for the highest office in the land.

George Arzt, a Democratic political consultant not currently affiliated with any candidate, said Bloomberg is positioning himself for a run only if he sees an opening, with the two parties perhaps in turmoil without a consensus choice at convention time. "Bloomberg is putting everything together in order to be a candidate if everything falls his way," said Arzt, who was press secretary for Mayor Edward I. Koch. "He certainly has ambitions for the presidency -- there's no doubt in my mind."

At the moment, New Yorkers don't seem to mind the speculation. In a Quinnipiac University poll last week, about half of those surveyed, 47 percent, thought the speculation about Bloomberg was good for the city, and 52 percent thought he would be a good president.