Blogger is at a rally in favor of American foreign policy, including regime change in Iraq ( Fall 2003 ).

Karen Loberg (Ventura Star) took the picture. It made the front page. He was famous for a day.

THE BLOG of John Gelles February 27, 2008

Non-Partisan Approach to Vexing Problems Badly Needed The mayor of New York has enormous wealth—equal it seems to me—to the enormity of the responsibilities of his office: he is, in my view, the nation's Mayor General. He is also awfully smart. The "economy, education, the environment, energy, infrastructure and crime" are listed by the mayor as critical issues for the current presidential campaign. Infrastructure would include, in my opinion, national systems that will remain critical every day for years to come: systems, whose cost to upgrade, maintain and inspect, is high enough to end unemployment overnight—had we the political will to do right. What does the Mayor really think? I think he wants Barack Obama to swear allegiance to a nonpartisan approach to the frightening future we face at the moment. He wants Obama to indicate the need for a bipartisan cabinet and, if he's as smart as I think he is, the need for creating enough money to fully employ all capital and labor the Keynesian way—backed by real production of everything required to defend this nation against internal mismanagement and natural and man-made causes of misfortune. He would curtail American export of money for oil— the money that finances asymmetrical war against us. He would recapture previously exported of heavy and other industries (to lowest cost of production regions). These mistaken exports are destroying our cities and our rational way of life: life made possible by freedom—but long abused by failure to match freedom to inescapable responsibility. Is it likely that Obama (or any candidate) will invite a very rich Mayor General to set goals for Washington D.C. in New York City? Maybe not. But, the Mayor of New York City has a plan.

Copyrighted work reprinted here is for educational non profit purposes— and at the teachable moment. It was offered free to me on the internet (as a member of a wide audience) and is copied here free to others adding to its value)— it is fair use of the work New York Times: Op-ED Opinion 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. By MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG February 28, 2008 WATCHING the 2008 presidential campaign, you sometimes get the feeling that the candidates — smart, all of them — must know better. They must know we can’t fix our economy and create jobs by isolating America from global trade. They must know that we can’t fix our immigration problems with border security alone. They must know that we can’t fix our schools without holding teachers, principals and parents accountable for results. They must know that fighting global warming is not a costless challenge. And they must know that we can’t keep illegal guns out of the hands of criminals unless we crack down on the black market for them. The vast majority of Americans know that all of this is true, but — politics being what it is — the candidates seem afraid to level with them. Over the past year, I have been working to raise issues that are important to New Yorkers and all Americans — and to speak plainly about common sense solutions. Some of these solutions have traditionally been seen as Republican, while others have been seen as Democratic. As a businessman, I never believed that either party had all the answers and, as mayor, I have seen just how true that is. In every city I have visited — from Baltimore to New Orleans to Seattle — the message of an independent approach has resonated strongly, and so has the need for a new urban agenda. More than 65 percent of Americans now live in urban areas — our nation’s economic engines. But you would never know that listening to the presidential candidates. At a time when our national economy is sputtering, to say the least, what are we doing to fuel job growth in our cities, and to revive cities that have never fully recovered from the manufacturing losses of recent decades? More of the same won’t do, on the economy or any other issue. We need innovative ideas, bold action and courageous leadership. That’s not just empty rhetoric, and the idea that we have the ability to solve our toughest problems isn’t some pie-in-the-sky dream. In New York, working with leaders from both parties and mayors and governors from across the country, we’ve demonstrated that an independent approach really can produce progress on the most critical issues, including the economy, education, the environment, energy, infrastructure and crime. I believe that an independent approach to these issues is essential to governing our nation — and that an independent can win the presidency. I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president. I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate. In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue to work to steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance. And while I have always said I am not running for president, the race is too important to sit on the sidelines, and so I have changed my mind in one area. 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. The changes needed in this country are straightforward enough, but there are always partisan reasons to take an easy way out. There are always special interests that will fight against any challenge to the status quo. And there are always those who will worry more about their next election than the health of our country. These forces that prevent meaningful progress are powerful, and they exist in both parties. I believe that the candidate who recognizes that the party is over — and begins enlisting all of us to clean up the mess — will be the winner this November, and will lead our country to a great and boundless future. Michael R. Bloomberg is the mayor of New York. Earlier Date     Reply     Archive     HOME