Bloomberg calls on leaders to end bickering

Stop the bickering and get Americans back to work.

That's the message Mayor Michael Bloomberg delivered with presidential-candidate flair Wednesday as he blasted Washington and Albany for not creating jobs.

"As families struggle to get by, they have seen little but partisan gridlock, political pandering and legislative influence-peddling," he said in a speech at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.

"Finger-pointing, blame games and endless attacks. Put simply: when it comes to creating jobs, government hasn't gotten the job done."

Bloomberg, who some believe may make a run for president in 2012, said the city's economy is growing twice as fast as the rest of the country and eight times as fast as the rest of the state.

He called on state and federal leaders to "chart a middle way," and slammed Democrats and Republicans for choosing political scuffles over "forging centrist solutions" to the country's economic woes.

Bloomberg's plan for recovery includes rebuilding confidence, improving regulations, promoting trade and innovation, cutting business taxes and investing in job training.