Bloomberg: Not Running for President

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg made news today when he at last addressed whether or not he will enter the 2008 presidential race. Bloomberg answered the questions from Scoop08 Correspondent Hadley Nagel, with candidness, revealing his advice to first-time voters and his plans for his future, which do not include seeking the keys to the White House. As always, Scoop08 has the scoop!

Scoop08: What was the first presidential election you voted in? If you can divulge, for whom did you vote and why?

Michael Bloomberg: 1964. I believe in the sanctity of the voting booth.

S: What were you thinking when you made your selection at 18 years old? Would you have different criteria now?

MB: Keep in mind that in 1964 you had to be 21 years old to vote, but absolutely I had different criteria at 22 than I do at 66. That's part of what makes America great – everyone has a vote and can select who leads our country.

S: What issues would you advise the first time voter to consider?

MB: I believe you should look at the details of what candidates are proposing, not just sound bites and slogans. Together, if everyone did this, voters could force the candidates to answer the questions of what you would do and who's going to pay for it – because everybody says "I'm going to give you something for nothing," but there's no free lunch. What I've said again and again is I wish that presidential candidates would address the real issues like public education, crime, our infrastructure, the environment, our standing around the world, public health, the national debt, and our economy. An independent, non-partisan approach to these issues is essential to governing our nation.

S: Which of the presidential candidates do you think has addressed that/those issues most completely?

MB: I have met all the candidates for presidents, and I think they all have strengths. I haven't made up my mind about who I am going to vote for or endorse, but if a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach – and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy – I'll join others in helping that candidate win the White House.

S: When you ran for the job of mayor of New York City, did you appeal to the youth vote? If not, how can you do things differently?

MB: When I ran for office in 2001 and 2005, I asked every New Yorker for their vote, and I was honored to receive support from a broad and diverse coalition of voters - from all five boroughs, from all ethnicities and from all age groups.

S: Many people have been commenting that you will run for president and you have adamantly denied that you are not a candidate. Yet, you have been traveling a lot around the country. If you are not a candidate, is there something specific that you are hoping to learn/bring back from each of these trips that will benefit your constituents in New York City?

MB: The bottom line is I feel very strongly I should be out there, talking about issues that influence New York City that are dealt with at a national level. Illegal guns, for example, is an issue on which I have been very vocal. Along with Boston Mayor Tom Menino, I started the Mayors Against Illegal Guns coalition – which now has over 250 members representing more than 50 million Americans – to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I've been vocal in lobbying Congress to allocate homeland security funds on the basis of risk and not pork barrel politics. Investment in infrastructure is important for New York City as well as the country, so I traveled to California to join with Govs. [Arnold] Schwarzenegger and [Ed] Rendell [of Pennsylvania] to campaign for more investment in our roads, airports, bridges and mass transit. I've traveled to Europe and Asia to learn about what ideas work there that we can implement in New York City – like congestion pricing, which has improved air quality and reduced traffic in London and which we are trying to implement here.

S: Do you have a hotel reservation in St. Paul, Minnesota any time from September 1-4 (or any plans to visit?)

MB: No.

S: Do you have a hotel reservation in Denver, Colorado any time from August 25-28?(or any plans to visit?)

MB: No.

S: What political circumstances WOULD make you run for president? Would you accept a vice presidential nomination?

MB: I am not running for president or vice president; I'm focused on the job I have.

S: If you don't run for president in 2008, any thoughts on becoming president of Johns Hopkins University down the road?

MB: I've had a career in business, and I will have had a career for eight years in government when I finish my second term in office. I'm term limited so we know that that's going to end, but for my next career, it would be wonderful if I was able to develop my interest in philanthropy. I've set up the Bloomberg Family Foundation, which will continue my support of groundbreaking work, particularly in the areas of public health and medical research, education and the arts.