Speculation Grows Over Bloomberg White House Bid

Speculation that Michael Bloomberg, the billionaire mayor of New York, will run as an independent in the US presidential race was growing today.

Bloomberg - who publicly denies he is planning a presidential bid - is set to attend a high-profile political meeting on national unity next week, and the 65-year-old's aides are reported to be examining the procedure for entering the race.

Next Sunday, the mayor is due to attend behind closed doors talks among senior politicians of both main parties to promote bipartisan politics.

One of the organizers, former senator David Boren, told the New York Times he would urge Bloomberg to stand as an independent if the Democratic and Republican nominees continued to promote a partisan approach.

"Normally I don't think an independent candidacy would have a chance. [But] I don't think these are normal times," he told the paper. However, he insisted: "This is not a Bloomberg for president meeting."

The meeting will be held between the crucial nomination votes for the Democratic and Republican candidates in Iowa and New Hampshire.

Prominent politicians including the Republican senator Chuck Hagel and the former Democratic senator Sam Nunn will be attending. Both are being named as possible running mates for Bloomberg.

Bloomberg, a 65-year-old multi billionaire, was originally a Democrat but stood as Republican as mayor of New York before declaring himself an independent last June.

In joint letter about the meeting from Nunn and Boren, Reuters quoted them as saying: "Our political system is, at the very least, badly bent and many are concluding that it is broken at a time where America must lead boldly at home and abroad.

"Partisan polarization is preventing us from uniting to meet the challenges that we must face if we are to prevent further erosion of America's power of leadership and example."