Bloomberg's Ego In '08

One of the most persistent stories in the New York press these days is the guessing game about whether Mike Bloomberg will run for president. We have so come to take politicians' statements at face value that a firm unambiguous denial, such as that of Hillary Clinton in 2004, Condoleeza Rice this year and Bloomberg earlier this year does little to stop the feverish speculation. My guess is it is largely a product of political reporters who are under pressure from their editors to fill up the pages. Maybe that's why Bloomberg's two-minute meeting with President Bush on the tarmac at JFK airport resulted in days of speculation, wherein even the color of Bloomgerg's tie was the subject of tea-leaves reading.
My firm suspicion is that Bloomberg initially intended, as he told me in a 2003 interview, to retire and spend his senior years living the good life while giving away perhaps billions of dollars to charitable causes. Not a bad life. But the success of his 2005, no-expense spared campaign has him obviously rethinking . And with a political advisor, Kevin Sheekey, who has gotten rich off him seeing multiple dollar signs in a national campaign -- imagine the $80 million spent in New York multiplied across 50 states -- the ego that drove Bloomberg to run for mayor is obviously wondering how far this wave can carry him.
There's a reasonably good chance that Bloomberg is just having fun with the speculation, enjoying how the media reads into his every pronouncement. And being seen as ambitious and upwardly mobile serves his political ambitions by saving him from being a lame duck.
Then again, when Bloomberg sells his media empire he'll become one of the richest men in the world, and his unbridled ability to spend and encouragement from his amen corner could make a Bloomberg 08 campaign a reality.