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Bloomberg readying for a run at White House
The Telegraph (UK)
By Toby Harnden in Washington
Last Updated: 2:26am BST 12/05/2007
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman and mayor of New York, is building the foundations for an audacious third-party presidential candidacy that would transform the 2008 race for the White House.
The Daily Telegraph has established that a senior aide to Mr Bloomberg has held three lunch meetings with officials from the Independence Party, during which detailed discussions took place as to how a third-party bid could be launched.
Kevin Sheekey, Mr Bloomberg's special adviser and chief political strategist, first met Frank MacKay, the New York chairman of the Independence Party, for talks in November at Manhattan's Four Seasons hotel.
Two further lunch meetings took place in quick succession early last month over steak and seafood at the city's well-known Bobby Van's restaurant.
Mr MacKay declined to confirm or deny whether the meetings had happened but said that he thought Mr Bloomberg would make an "excellent candidate".
Meanwhile, a source closely connected to the New York mayor's inner circle said: "He thinks he could be a great president. Mike Bloomberg has got $500 million to spend and he is supremely confident."
Mr Bloomberg, 65, would be likely to run as a social liberal and fiscal conservative with signature issues such as environmentalism and gun control.
A centrist Bloomberg candidacy would certainly stir up next year's presidential race. Ross Perot, the wealthy businessman who secured 19 per cent of the vote as an independent candidate in 1992, is widely credited with enabling Bill Clinton to defeat George Bush Snr.
While publicly denying he is seeking the presidency, Mr Bloomberg is clearly enjoying the speculation.
A recent poll gave him a 73 per cent approval rating among New Yorkers. Bloomberg's eponymous financial information company is believed to be worth about $20 billion, giving him the launchpad to compete easily in what is certain to be the most expensive election in US history.
Mr Bloomberg is understood to be waiting until February to see who will emerge as the Republican and Democratic nominees before making a final decision. However, this week he relaunched the website mikebloomberg.com that he used during his runs for mayor in 2001 and 2005.
A Bloomberg company source said Mr Bloomberg had made preparations to borrow enough money against his stake in the firm to fund a presidential campaign.
"When the mayoral race was being considered, people said he would be crazy to do it and he had no chance. Then he won. He's got a financial plan for 2008 and he's ready to pull the trigger."
Stu Loeser, Mr Bloomberg's spokesman, confirmed that meetings with the Independence Party took place but said that they were about the general issue of how a third-party presidential candidate could compete.
"The meetings are recent but it's not the first time we've spoken about supporting independent candidacies," he said.
"The mayor thinks the speculation is very flattering but he's not running for president. His next career will be as a full-time philanthropist."
But a political operative who has spoken to senior Bloomberg aides said: "This is as dead serious as a heart attack. If they are not serious, then these people are the greatest actors, the best showmen I've ever seen. They are talking minutiae. They've done tons of research and looked into this very deeply."
The Telegraph (UK)
By Toby Harnden in Washington
Last Updated: 2:26am BST 12/05/2007
Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire businessman and mayor of New York, is building the foundations for an audacious third-party presidential candidacy that would transform the 2008 race for the White House.
The Daily Telegraph has established that a senior aide to Mr Bloomberg has held three lunch meetings with officials from the Independence Party, during which detailed discussions took place as to how a third-party bid could be launched.
Kevin Sheekey, Mr Bloomberg's special adviser and chief political strategist, first met Frank MacKay, the New York chairman of the Independence Party, for talks in November at Manhattan's Four Seasons hotel.
Two further lunch meetings took place in quick succession early last month over steak and seafood at the city's well-known Bobby Van's restaurant.
Mr MacKay declined to confirm or deny whether the meetings had happened but said that he thought Mr Bloomberg would make an "excellent candidate".
Meanwhile, a source closely connected to the New York mayor's inner circle said: "He thinks he could be a great president. Mike Bloomberg has got $500 million to spend and he is supremely confident."
Mr Bloomberg, 65, would be likely to run as a social liberal and fiscal conservative with signature issues such as environmentalism and gun control.
A centrist Bloomberg candidacy would certainly stir up next year's presidential race. Ross Perot, the wealthy businessman who secured 19 per cent of the vote as an independent candidate in 1992, is widely credited with enabling Bill Clinton to defeat George Bush Snr.
While publicly denying he is seeking the presidency, Mr Bloomberg is clearly enjoying the speculation.
A recent poll gave him a 73 per cent approval rating among New Yorkers. Bloomberg's eponymous financial information company is believed to be worth about $20 billion, giving him the launchpad to compete easily in what is certain to be the most expensive election in US history.
Mr Bloomberg is understood to be waiting until February to see who will emerge as the Republican and Democratic nominees before making a final decision. However, this week he relaunched the website mikebloomberg.com that he used during his runs for mayor in 2001 and 2005.
A Bloomberg company source said Mr Bloomberg had made preparations to borrow enough money against his stake in the firm to fund a presidential campaign.
"When the mayoral race was being considered, people said he would be crazy to do it and he had no chance. Then he won. He's got a financial plan for 2008 and he's ready to pull the trigger."
Stu Loeser, Mr Bloomberg's spokesman, confirmed that meetings with the Independence Party took place but said that they were about the general issue of how a third-party presidential candidate could compete.
"The meetings are recent but it's not the first time we've spoken about supporting independent candidacies," he said.
"The mayor thinks the speculation is very flattering but he's not running for president. His next career will be as a full-time philanthropist."
But a political operative who has spoken to senior Bloomberg aides said: "This is as dead serious as a heart attack. If they are not serious, then these people are the greatest actors, the best showmen I've ever seen. They are talking minutiae. They've done tons of research and looked into this very deeply."
