Here it comes: Bloomberg unveils his battle plan - watching this on Ratigan

[flamingdem]

Nice way to SPLIT THE VOTE.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/08/AR2010120804604.html?hpid=moreheadlines

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has long hungered to be at the center of the national debate, to be regarded as one of New York's greatest mayors, even to be seen as a possible president. If he finds himself a candidate in 2012, and that is still a decided long shot, his speech Wednesday may be seen as the first volley in the battle.

In the guise of offering a blueprint to fix the broken economy, Bloomberg offered a withering critique of the broken politics practiced in Washington and Albany. The politician who started his career as a Democrat, became a Republican to run for mayor and then announced he was an independent, took aim at left and right with equal abandon.

He attacked the "ideologues on the left" for clinging to the belief that taxing and spending can restore prosperity and for holding a government-knows-best approach to creating jobs. He attacked "ideologues on the right" for entrusting all faith in the free market and writing off any significant role for government in shaping the environment in which the economy can flourish.

"For New York City to continue our growth, we need our federal and state governments to chart a middle way - between a government that would wash its hands of the problem and one that seeks to supplant the private sector; between a government that would stand on the sidelines and one that would take over the game," he said in Brooklyn on Wednesday morning, according to a text of his prepared remarks.

[CitizenLeft]

1. I don't even want to think about what would happen if he ran...

...for prez as an independent.

It would be a disaster. A DISASTER. I think he knows that, and wouldn't want that to happen (meaning, he would guarantee a Republican president). Even Palin could win in that 3-way scenario. I hope his common sense overtakes whatever ego-driven presidential ambition he has, because if it doesn't, we're freakin' screwed.

[Uzybone]

2. no details to speak of

just centrist talk.