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This time Bloomberg really denies presidential run

BY KARLA SCHUSTER | karla.schuster@newsday.com

10:55 PM EST, 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.