Can't Mondello catch a break? I mean he isn't directly responsible for Bloomberg leaving the GOP to be "unaffiliated," but as state party chairman it happened under his watch.
Bloomberg is gaining national attention and bolts the party that needs the most help in New York State.
Of course, this is exactly what Bloomberg did back in 2001 when he didn't want to fight in a Democratic Mayoral Primary so he switched to the Republicans. Now Bloomie wants to run for president and running in the crowded GOP field isn't something he wants.
From the NYTimes "The announcement was released during a campaign-style swing through California, during which Mr. Bloomberg, 65, a billionaire businessman, used increasingly sharp language to criticize both parties in Washington as too timid to take on big problems and too locked into petty squabbling to work together.
“I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead my city,” Mr. Bloomberg’s statement read. “Any successful elected executive knows that real results are more important than partisan battles, and that good ideas should take precedence over rigid adherence to any particular political ideology.”
Even as Mr. Bloomberg continues to say that he has no plans to run for president, his announcement has set off a storm of interest in political circles across the country, where it is being viewed as a signal of his serious contemplation of a campaign. His ability to self-finance a campaign presents him with obvious advantages, including the option of delaying even until next year a decision on whether to run.
Mr. Bloomberg’s aides are working intensely behind the scenes promoting the idea of the mayor’s candidacy and exploring the mechanics of starting an independent campaign.
The aides have said he would travel the country to see whether the message of centrist problem-solving he delivered in California resonates. They would seek to identify states where his positions on major issues — global warming, immigration, a crackdown on illegal guns — could resonate. If he is well received, the travels could begin to lay a foundation for his candidacy....
"On Friday, he filed papers with the city Board of Elections to change his affiliation, as the public focus on his future intensified. In the space of a few days, he appeared on the cover of Time and in a BusinessWeek special report, and he told an audience of Google employees that the country is “really in trouble.” He stood with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California as the governor told a crowd of reporters on Tuesday that Mr. Bloomberg “would be a great candidate,” in an appearance at Ceasefire, a conference on bridging the partisan divide, organized by the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California. “It’s all about fixing problems and creating a great vision for the future,” he said....
"Mr. Giuliani’s office did not respond to a request for reaction to the decision. Still, Mr. Giuliani is likely to view even this level of flirtation as a serious betrayal: His support for Mr. Bloomberg in 2001, after the attacks of Sept. 11, was critical to Mr. Bloomberg’s success and accounts for why he is where he is today."
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment