Bloomberg dumps GOP; Will he run?

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is the latest candidate for the 2008 presidential election who's running by not running, joining Al Gore and Fred Thompson.

On Wednesday, Bloomberg left the Republican Party, changing his party affiliation to "Independent."

However, immediately after doing so, he immediately declared that he has no intention of running for president, but of course he didn't slam the door shut, much less lock it with a dead bolt.

I've written it before - honestly, I do hope that he runs. I really want a viable third-party candidate, and Bloomberg seems as good as third-party candidate as any. He's a moderate who is beholden to no one, and he has the courage to take on big issues: global warming, stem-cell research, traffic problems, smoking bans in public places and tough choices on traffic, just to name a few.

Of course he's running. Why else would have change his party affiliation? He won't be running for reelection as mayor of NYC, and a man of Bloomberg's stature and wealth isn't going to run for governor of New York or any other state. Running for president is the logical choice.

He's smart to not declare right now. He can wait until next year because he doesn't have to go through all of the insane fund raising that the Republican and Democratic candidates have to endure. And, he leaving himself an out if he's really happy with the Democratic and/or the Republican presumptive candidate by early next year.

It's pretty entertaining to hear all of the talking heads on television saying he would have a "steep uphill battle," as I heard one put it the other day. Really? With $500 million (or more) that he'll deposit into this campaign account?

I'm already sick to death of the Ross Perot comparisons. Bloomberg is no Perot - he's got Perot's money, but unlike Perot in '92, Bloomberg has held elective office, and he actually has some ideas, not just Perot's empty, boastful blarney.

Best of all, if Bloomberg is elected, he'll owe very few, if any favors to big business and donors with deep pockets, because he will not have pimped himself for campaign cash.

I really hope that 2008 turns out to be 1992 all over again, in more ways than one. Bloomberg's entry into the race will be a very good thing.

AP Photo

Is Iran next?

Will this bumper sticker prove true after all?

There's plenty of talk that it's a strong possibility. I haven't read enough about it yet to write at length, but I certainly will, soon.

You can bet your butt that if we do go to war with Iran, there will be a draft. We absolutely do not have the troops for operations anywhere else. If we do go to war in Iran though, Bush had better schedule the invasion or bombing around American Idol, because can you imagine the civil revolt if Fox broke into Idol programming with news of war?

I sincerely hope that people who constantly say, "I don't care about politics" are reconsidering their position. Because everyone should care, especially now, especially if there's a draft. If the draft is reinstated, you can bet everyone will care, fast.

The bumper sticker above, and many others, are available at CafePress, truly a cool Website. Check it out. I was there today, and they've got a whole menu of great new products.

A quick sample...

I love the one on the left *ahem*, but wouldn't a Cheney/Satan ticket be redundant? Okay, okay, I'm getting a bit carried away, but Dick scares me. Call me crazy, but I pray for the president's health on a daily basis, because heaven help us if Cheney were to become president. I can tell you one thing, though - there would be plenty of high fives at Halliburton headquarters. With a Cheney presidency, the new Hallie corporate slogan would write itself: "A no-bid contract in every pot."

I love this one, too. I kind of miss Tom DeLay, though. It was fun kicking him while he was down. This one would make a great t-shirt. After I sell my old computer monitor, maybe I'll spring for one. My car is about maxed out on bumper stickers. In fact, I may thin out the ranks soon. One of my stickers, "Don't blame me, I voted for Kerry" rings kind of hollow now that he's opted out of the '08 race.

Lastly, I found this one - ITMFA - which stands for "Impeach The Mother F----- Already." Too funny. We impeached President Clinton for a consensual affair, but Bush gets a pass on... a laundry list of crap.

I think impeachment should be a last resort, not a first one, but my point is that if Congress could wrongly go after Clinton for what he did, how's Bush get a pass?

It will be interesting to see how the I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby trial plays out. (I'll be blogging more about this over the weekend.)

Incidentally, I'm sooo sick and tired of the media saying his whole name. Who goes by the nickname "Scooter," anyway? That sounds like a nickname from the playground in fifth grade. Hey, I go by RJ, but, I have to pat myself on the back - it's a lot cooler than "Scooter." And what's with the "I"? I never get the whole first initial thing, like "H. Ross Perot." Why not just "Ross Perot?"

One of my favorite initialed-monikers is the football player R.W. McQuarters, a defensive back for the New York Giants. "RW" is a lot to say, but his full name is Reginald Willingham McQuarters II. (There's two?) Yikes. I'd go with "RW," too.

Okay, from now on, I'm R. Joseph "Moped" Corby.

Or not.