New York Mayor to Bid for White House

He has a national profile, a record as a man who gets things done and practically unlimited campaign money. In short, New York's mayor, Michael Bloomberg, could be the perfect presidential candidate for 2008.

But the rumours flying about a possible Bloomberg bid have both Republicans and Democrats running scared - for Bloomberg is believed by many to be considering a run for the White House as an independent. In New York, the rumours have the political classes chattering wildly. In Washington, there is a definite nervousness as opinion polls show that voters are disillusioned with both the established parties.

The latest frenzy has been carefully fuelled by the mayor's close friend, political adviser and deputy mayor, Kevin Sheekey. Sheekey, who masterminded Bloomberg's 2005 re-election, has made no secret of his desire to see his boss run: 'I have enhanced the notion of a presidential campaign, but I have yet to interest the only person that matters - so far,' Sheekey recently told one New York newspaper.

Bloomberg publicly denies that he plans to stand, but often does so with a joke and a smile that leave the matter slightly open. In private, things are a little more murky. He recently attended a closed-door fund-raising dinner for a Connecticut Republican and was asked about his White House intentions: 'Absolutely not,' he responded. 'And anybody's who's running will say exactly that.'

That has helped fuel speculation, and Bloomberg's repeated denials are routinely ignored in favour of analysis of his actions and agenda. A strong case can be made that Bloomberg is testing the waters for a wider political role. The mayor has shifted his main focus from purely New York issues over the past year and spoken out on a wide range of national topics, from immigration to gun crime. He has carved out a centrist position on topics such as stem cell research, immigration and global warming.

Some observers see all this as a thinly disguised 'toe dipping' in national politics. Bloomberg's travel schedule also suggests a man increasingly seeing the nation. So far in 2006, he has logged 12 days of political travelling outside New York, compared to just four in all of 2005.Some influential pundits believe he has a chance. 'He can win. Yes, not just hurt Hillary Clinton or the Republicans, but actually win the White House,' said conservative columnist Dick Morris.

The most recent precedent for a Bloomberg run would be the independent presidential campaigns of Ross Perot in the Nineties. Perot, another billionaire, took 19 per cent of the vote in 1992. Nearly all the experts would expect Bloomberg easily to top Perot's performance. Others think he could win. 'The time is riper for victory by a third-party candidate than it has ever been in our nation's history,' Morris said.