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Bloomberg won't run, may endorse a candidate

BY KARLA SCHUSTER | karla.schuster@newsday.com

10:46 AM EST, February 28, 2008

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Ending months of speculation, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced last night that he will not launch a self-financed bid for the White House, but said he will consider endorsing a candidate who "takes an independent, nonpartisan approach" to running the country.

"I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not -- and will not be -- a candidate for president," Bloomberg wrote in a New York Times editorial posted on the newspaper's Web site last night.

Bloomberg's definitive declaration, while closing the door on his presidential ambitions, hardly ends his involvement in the election as he raises the prospect of endorsing a candidate for the first time.

Previously, the mayor had said he would not endorse anyone, arguing that he would have to work with whoever ended up in the White House.

"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," Bloomberg wrote. "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."

Bloomberg has flirted with the possibility of an independent presidential bid for months but coyly denied interest, even as his aides laid the groundwork for a run, including extensive polling and setting up the framework to get him on the ballot in all 50 states. Those aides suggested the 66-year-old billionaire mayor, who financed his two elections, would be willing to spend more than $1 billion.

He said in the editorial that he still believes an independent can win.

"A noncandidacy is finally over," said Douglas Muzzio, a professor of political science at Baruch College.

Bloomberg's endorsement, while not likely to sway many voters, could be valuable for another reason -- the deep-pocketed donors he could bring along, Muzzio said. "The question is, where does Mike Bloomberg and his Rolodex of plutocrats go?" he said. "You're talking about folks who can generate mountains of cash."

As he has before, Bloomberg said he will continue to travel the country to speak out on national issues. "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 towards substance."

Over the past year, the mayor has traveled extensively, only adding to the presidential buzz.

But in recent weeks, with Sen. John McCain, the moderate Republican with bipartisan credentials, emerging as the presumptive GOP presidential nominee, and Sen. Barack Obama gaining steam on the Democratic side, the political landscape shifted, leaving little room for a centrist independent like Bloomberg.

And over the weekend, Ralph Nader announced he would run as an independent, further crowding the presidential field.