NEW YORK (AP) — Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Sunday revisited the subject of his possible aspirations for higher office, offering a definitive “no way, no how” when asked if he will run for president of the United States.
Speaking on NBC’s “Meet the Press,” Bloomberg said in an interview broadcast Sunday that he would be sticking with the elected office he holds.
“I’m not looking at the possibility of running,” Bloomberg told host David Gregory. “I’ve got a great job, and I’m gonna stay with it.”
The Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, already a generous donor, has said philanthropy is in the cards once his third term as mayor ends.
Bloomberg, who was re-elected in 2009 after persuading the City Council to change the term limits law for him, also repeatedly said he’s not running for president in 2012. He explored the idea of running as a third-party candidate in the leadup to the 2008 election before eventually deciding against it.
But those denials come along with actions that keep Bloomberg in a national spotlight. On Dec. 8, he gave a campaign-style speech in Brooklyn in which he aired familiar complaints about partisan gridlock along with vague ideas to get more Americans working.
In an interview in the December issue of GQ magazine, the billionaire mayor criticized President Barack Obama, saying he had broken campaign promises and needs better advisers.
In November, Bloomberg said an independent has a better chance at succeeding in the White House than a Republican or a Democrat. And on Monday, he was scheduled to speak on a panel at the launch of an organization looking to court people from both major political parties to find common solutions to problems.