Free Republic

With whispers that former New York City mayor and billionaire Michael Bloomberg may mull a run for the White House, politicos are already hyperventilating about how he would shake up the current field. Would he run as a Democrat, a Republican or an independent (he's been all three)? Would he take on billionaire rival Donald Trump? Would he swing at Hillary Clinton (whom he reportedly does not like)? Yet despite the excitement from election-watchers, Bloomberg's entry is unlikely and ill-advised anyway. In an interview with Byron York, Republican strategist Alex Castellanos summed it up: "Michael Bloomberg is a solution in...

From Bloomberg: U.S. Census Bureau data out Wednesday underscore just how lousy the recovery has been if you aren’t rich. Looking at eight groups of household income selected by Census, only those whose incomes are already high to begin with have seen improvement since 2006, the last full year of expansion before the recession. Households at the 95th and 90th percentiles had larger earnings through 2014, the latest year for which data are available.

There seems to be a creeping pathos among the political commentariat these days as one poll after another indicates that no matter how many rotten eggs you throw at Donald Trump he somehow continues to turn them into delicious omelets which he serves up to the faithful. Over the course of the summer this was viewed as a primarily (pun intended) Republican problem. Democrat supporters were content to leave it to the GOP as to how they should clean up their own house and evict the unwelcome guest. But now even the most die-hard are forced to acknowledge that...

Despite a population of just over 1 million people and just 3 electoral votes, Montana continues to be a hot bed of spending for billionaire’s and their political non-profit groups. (cut, jump) Liberal Swiss billionaire and Center for American Progress board member Hansjorg Wyss has received much attention in recent weeks after The Daily Caller revealed that he had paid $1.5 million to a Colorado woman to settle sex abuse allegations. Money from Wyss’ charitable foundation has proven quite important in Montana’s environmental movement.

The Bloomberg/Des Moines Register survey released on Saturday finds that the two are tied in Iowa caucus-goer support when voters’ first and second choices for the Republican coronation are combined. Each is the first or second choice of 32 percent of respondents. Trump won the poll overall, getting 23 percent support. Carson comes in second at 18 percent. The next-closest competitors are Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) at 8 percent each. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush are tied for fifth place with 6 percent support each. After them is Carly Fiorina...

The rumblings are beginning. Just as the Democratic party considers drafting a 2016 challenger into take on a floundering Hillary Clinton, GOP voices are speaking up about shaking up their primary race as well. Conservative stalwarts Bill Kristol is leaving the door open for an “October surprise,” even suggesting the possibility that a business person, such as a “saner and sounder” version of Donald Trump, could emerge. Now enter a man who knows a thing or two of drumming up attention (and selling papers) - Rupert Murdoch. Just as massive stock drop has many investors eyeing the financial headlines, the...

Murdoch followed up with a pair of tweets a couple of hours later, saying, "I did not say I would vote for him! Just a friend I admire," and, "Far away from world's troubles here on Great Barrier Reef swimming and reading. Seems irresponsible." Murdoch is the head of News Corp., which owns newspapers including the New York Post and The Wall Street Journal, and until recently oversaw Fox News and other networks as CEO of 21st Century Fox. The Australian billionaire's apparent desire to draft Bloomberg — the Democrat-turned-independent who left office in 2013 and has sent no signals...

Rupert Murdoch hopes another billionaire challenges Donald Trump for the Republican presidential nomination, he said Sunday night. The News Corp mogul showed newfound respect for Trump’s candidacy while tweeting his praise for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “With Trump becoming very serious candidate, it's time for next billionaire candidate, Mike Bloomberg to step into ring,” Murdoch wrote on Twitter. “Greatest mayor.” Murdoch, a billionaire in his own right, had previously called the Republican frontrunner “wrong” on immigration and “embarrassing” after Trump criticized Sen. John McCain’s military service. He also applauded the “great job” by anchors from his outlet...

After the Bloomberg commodity index crashed overnight, having tumbled for each of the past 4 years, this happened: BLOOMBERG COMMODITY INDEX SLIDES TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE 1999 Said otherwise, the lowest level in the 21s centiry. Yup, rate hike any minute now.

Former Speaker of the House and Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich talks to FOX News' Greta van Susteren about the affect of Hillary Clinton's private server controversy on her campaign for the presidency.

Bloomberg Politics Managing Editor Mark Halperin stated that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has “reached a turning point” where the “establishment candidates” think he can win Iowa, “most” believe he can win the nomination, and “a significant number think he could win the White House” on Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.” Halperin was asked his writing that “Most importantly, we’ve reached a turning point with Trump, the major establishment campaigns of both parties now think Trump could win Iowa, and most of them think he could win the nomination, and a significant number think he could win the White...

Bloomberg Politics Managing Editor Mark Halperin stated that Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has “reached a turning point” where the “establishment candidates” think he can win Iowa, “most” believe he can win the nomination, and “a significant number think he could win the White House” on Monday’s broadcast of MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Presidential candidate and former Gov. Jeb Bush got into some hot water recently over his past work with a foundation run by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg for its funding of Planned Parenthood. What went unnoticed, however, was that Bush worked with Bloomberg as he gave millions to environmental groups to take down the coal industry. Bush, who’s looking to win the Republican presidential nomination, served as a founding director of the Bloomberg Family Foundation — now called Bloomberg Philanthropies — from 2010 through 2014. During Bush’s second year with the organization, Bloomberg donated $50 million to the...

Jeb Bush’s most famous, or infamous, remark of the campaign season was that a Republican candidate must be willing to “lose the primary” in order to win the general election. For the most part, Bush has campaigned like he meant what he said: He’s defended his positions on immigration reform and Common Core, though they’re unpopular with much of the Republican base, and he angered conservatives on Capitol Hill by pushing for a confirmation vote on Attorney General Loretta Lynch, which some were trying to hold up at the time. But in the week leading up to the first Republican...

Jeb Bush’s involvement with a philanthropy headed by billionaire Michael Bloomberg, which partnered with Planned Parenthood on a $50 million global reproductive health initiative, is coming under scrutiny just as abortion is re-emerging as a top campaign issue. The former Florida governor served as a Bloomberg Family Foundation director from March 2010 until he stepped down in late 2014, earning roughly $37,000. During those years, the foundation worked with Planned Parenthood to expand women’s health programs in Africa and Central America. The association with the women’s health provider is politically fraught at a time when the group has been accused...

Until the eve of his presidential campaign, Jeb Bush was director of a philanthropy that gave tens of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood and financed its advocacy of "unrestricted access to abortion" around the world. The charity also approved money to global abortion providers while he sat on its board. In 2010, Jeb was named one of the founding directors of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, established as a tax-exempt foundation to advance the vision of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. He resigned from the board at the end of 2014 to prepare his presidential campaign. While a...

Michael Bloomberg has a lot of money to spend to work at restricting Americans right to keep and bear arms.  One of the latest projects is an online publication called "The Trace".  The Washington Examiner says both the New York's "Capital" and the NRA agree that the site's purpose is to push Bloomberg's views.  From washingtonexaminer.com: The National Rifle Association doesn't buy it. "This project is yet another illustration of Bloomberg's ego-driven zeal to control other Americans and diminish not just their rights, but their access to reliable information about their rights," its lobbying shop said. and In the...

Until shortly before announcing his presidential candidacy, former Florida governor Jeb Bush was a director for a charity that gave tens of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood. Life Site News reports: “In 2010, Jeb was named one of the founding directors of the Bloomberg Family Foundation, established as a tax-exempt foundation to advance the vision of former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.” That foundation announced a major partnership with Planned Parenthood-Global to train and equip abortion activists in pro-life countries, to the tune of $50 million:

Jeb Bush supports amnesty, Common Core and regularly lectures conservatives on how they must behave. Now this… Jeb Bush was director of a philanthropy that gave tens of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood. Lifesite News reported: Until the eve of his presidential campaign, Jeb Bush was director of a philanthropy that gave tens of millions of dollars to Planned Parenthood and financed its advocacy of “unrestricted access to abortion” around the world. The charity also approved money to global abortion providers while he sat on its board. In 2010, Jeb was named one of the founding directors of the...

The recent release of undercover videos that appear to show Planned Parenthood executives engaging in the sale of aborted body parts has put the Jeb Bush Presidential campaign on the defensive. Before becoming a GOP candidate Bush was serving as a director of Bloomberg Philanthropies, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s non-profit, in March 2014 when it announced a $50 million partnership with Planned Parenthood in Africa. At issue is whether Bush was aware of the initiative and if he exercised his fiduciary responsibility as one of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ directors to provide “advice and oversight” to the foundation’s management...