Bloomberg no longer a Republican

yahoo.com ^ | Jun 19, 2007 | SARA KUGLER

[neverdem]

Associated Press

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party on Tuesday and switched to unaffiliated, a move certain to be seen as a prelude to an independent presidential bid that would upend the 2008 race.

The billionaire former CEO, who was a lifelong Democrat before he switched to the Republican Party in 2001 for his first mayoral run, said the change in his voter registration does not mean he is running for president.

"Although my plans for the future haven't changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our city," Bloomberg said.

The 65-year-old mayor has increasingly been the subject of speculation that he will run as an independent in 2008, despite his repeated promises to leave politics after the end of his term in 2009. He has fueled the buzz with increasing out-of-state travel, a greater focus on national issues and repeated criticism of the partisan politics that dominate Washington.

This is a breaking news update. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

NEW YORK (AP) — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party on Tuesday and switched to unaffiliated, a move certain to be seen as a prelude to an independent presidential bid that would upend the 2008 race.

The billionaire former CEO, who was a lifelong Democrat before he switched to the Republican Party in 2001 for his first mayoral run, said the change in his voter registration does not mean he is running for president.

[sarasmom]

May every RINO in the nation follow his lead!

[Theodore R.]

Bloomberg “no longer” a Republican. How perfectly delightful! Now the people of NYC can sleep at night.

[nyyankeefan]

Bloomberg no longer a Republican

he never was!!!!!!

[stylin19a]

yikes..now what will be hillary’s plan for Bloomberg ?

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1852993/posts

[Theodore R.]

Why would a RINO follow him though when RINOs totally dominate this party? Heck, even “Vacant” Trent Lott is really a RINO too.

[John Jorsett]

I pray that he pulls a Nader and runs for President as an independent.

[SandyInSeattle]

Was he ever?

[neverdem]

yikes..now what will be hillary’s plan for Bloomberg ?

Bloomberg will have to sleep with his eyes open.

[samadams2000]

So weird that he would lie to his constituency.?.?

[WOSG]

RINO Comes out of Closet

Bloomberg will run as an independent for President, perhaps as an act of vanity, or maybe frustration once the GOP nominates a conservative. He has the Midget Jewish Millionaire vote all locked up.

[jwalsh07]

Hitler no longer a Catholic.

Stalin no longer a lover of freedom.

Pol Pot no longer a lover of his fellow men.

[rabscuttle385]

How much is Bloomberg going to pay them to sleep at night?

[gpapa]

Another switch by a Mayor of New York. Bloomberg was not even an RINO, he was a liberal without a cloth coat.

[romanesq]

Hillary has asked for a meeting with Bloomberg to show him her friends program otherwise known as the Vincent Foster amnesty.

Once forgiven, you’ll never need forgiving again.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>>Bloomberg no longer a Republican<<<

When was he????

[rottndog]

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party on Tuesday...

And just when was Bloomberg ever really a Republican?

[M203M4]

So what is he pretending to be now?

[romanesq]

This move pretty much indicates that Bloomberg is in fact thinking to do just that.

It didn’t matter if he was only interested in being mayor of New York. But although he’s done a good job overall, his liberal nanny state approach to life is something he can’t seem to suppress.

At the end of the day, he’s what we call an Upper East Side elitist. These are the types who have all the answers, know what’s best for you and don’t let the peons get in their way.

[Plains Drifter]

Beat me by 3 minutes !!!!!

[Right Cal Gal]

“New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party on Tuesday...”

....only to find out no one cared.....

[Plains Drifter]

Beat me by 3 minutes !!!!!

[Right Cal Gal]

“New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party on Tuesday...”

....only to find out no one cared.....

[xcamel]

[navyguy]

At least he finally came out of the closet.

[KingLiberty]

Just saw this on Drudge. Pop the champagne, give him a swift kick out the door as he exits, and urge him to run for president. The dems will love him. My suggestion as running mate: Maria Kennedy Shriver. Then Arnold and Michael will tour the states arm in arm, picking up the Kennedy Democrats and the RINO’s, paving the way for the FredNewt team, or any combination of the real good guys.

[ears_to_hear]

So he came out of the closet?

[Bushbacker1]

Bloomberg no longer a Republican

He never was a Republican. He changed parties prior to the NYC Mayorial election, to follow in Rudy's footsteps.

My hope is that this isn't another Perot, that takes votes from the Republican candidate.

Guess here, is that he will hurt his Democrat base and take votes from the Dummy candidate.!

[Right Cal Gal]

What will, of course, be hysterical is when Bloomberg does some early polling and finds out all the conservative Dems are with Fred and all the liberal Repubs are with Rudy.

Which I guess leaves Bloomie the less deranged members of Daily Kos.

Time to grab the popcorn.

[Mr.Smorch]

...and don't let the door hit you in your fat a**!

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

Billionaire turd.

[rottndog]

Now only if Ahnold will do us CA repubs a favor and leave the party....

Oh how I wish the state GOP would kick him out first.

[Political Junkie Too]

Bloomberg only ran for NYC Mayor as a Republican because the Democrat primary slots were all filled up.

If you recall, Democrats were running Andrew Cuomo (Bill Clinton's HUD Secretary) and Carl McCall. Seeing this, Bloomberg ran as a Republican instead. When the Clinton's ultimately endorsed McCall (an African-American), Cuomo dropped out and McCall lost to Bloomberg.

It's no wonder that Bloomberg is returning to his roots, now that he doesn't need his GOP credentials anymore.

-PJ

[Spunky]

He and HitLiary are in ca-hoots. He will split the Republican vote like Perot getting HitLiary elected and then she will name him her Veep as she can't have Obama as her Veep, you know.

[slapshot]

Careful for what you wish for

I do not want my guns confiscated

[Yo-Yo]

Blooomberg never was a Republican, except to avoid the Democratic Primary for NYC Mayor.

[lonestar]

How does one stop what one never started?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

an independent presidential bid that would upend the 2008 race.

Are they serious with this? I don't care how much money Bloomberg has, his impact on the 2008 race would be about as significant as mine. This guy is unelectable except as a big city mayor.

[madison10]

Good riddance.

[Psycho_Bunny]

prelude to an independent presidential bid that would upend the 2008 race.

lol..........Right.

[AM2000]

I think Bloomberg has a good understanding of the issues that face NYC, but I don’t see how those issues translate onto the national stage. Take the congestion tax, for example - he’s right about the problem (congestion) even if he’s not right about the solution (the tax). But is congestion a problem in other parts of the country on the scale that it is in NYC? Of course not. This is just one example of an issue where Mike may have his finger on the pulse of NYC but I don’t see how that will extend to the national scene.

[KingLiberty]

A Maria Shriver candidacy with Bloomberg would do it. They’d take California and New York, pull a couple of other states out of Dem hands, and that would do it. Almost a perfect solution to quite a few problems. Don’t stop believing. . .

[zeller the zealot]

A sanctimonious nanny state liberal leaves the party because he wants the White House. He dumped the Dems in ‘02 for the same reason. He couldn't win the nomination. I live in NYC. I never received so many well produced, glossy marketing brochures as when he ran in 02. We were bombarded with Bloomberg promo material. Don't forget, he used to own a media conglomerate. And he pulled it off, and won the election. Not going to work on a national scale, but he will scare the hell out of everybody.

[Grunthor]

“Bloomberg no longer a Republican”

C’mon, he fits in so well with most of the elected ones, it’s like there was no difference.

[OkiMusashi]

I guess this would matter to me IF:

1) I even had a Mayor.

and

2) Bloomberg was it.

I don’t .... he ain’t .... and it don’t.

[Grunthor]

“I pray that he pulls a Nader and runs for President as an independent.”

That’ll split the lib vote in this nation.

Hello President Thompson.

[freekitty]

The new Ross Perot. I swear if he does that he will be sued.

[marron]

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party on Tuesday and switched to unaffiliated, a move certain to be seen as a prelude to an independent presidential bid that would upend the 2008 race.

Upending the presidential race?

Since no one outside of New York City even knows who he is, I somehow don't see that happening.

[FredZarguna]

He didn’t leave the party—we left him!