Bloomberg said "NO"

The speculation continues about a third party presidential run by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, eyeing an independent presidential bid, faces a hodgepodge of local requirements to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The mayor’s aides are confident that he can do it, and that he would deploy armies of paid signature-gatherers nationwide if he runs. The foot soldiers are typically paid about $2 for every signature collected, though sometimes higher if their services are in heavy demand.

And with about 650,000 signatures needed nationwide, the bill would come to a minimum of $1.3 million — pocket change for the billionaire mayor.

“You have to have a lot of juice going into this,” said Peter Fenn, a Democratic consultant, who calls the signature-gathering process a “very byzantine business.”

There are plenty of other costs a candidate must consider, most prominently paying for a team of lawyers in each state to protect the campaign from rivals who challenge the validity of the collected signatures. Mr. Bloomberg, like H. Ross Perot in 1992 and 1996, may also rent offices for volunteers and other staff.

There is also the issue of when to get the ball rolling. On Sunday, Mr. Bloomberg will go to Oklahoma to meet Democratic and Republican heavyweights to press for more bipartisanship. His advisers have quietly canvassed potential campaign consultants about their availability in the coming months.

And Mr. Bloomberg, while publicly denying any interest in running for president, has privately suggested that if the candidates from the two major parties are very far apart, he might consider throwing his hat in the ring, according to people close to him.

Is the independent Bloomberg a liar?

Last night, Bloomberg was in Times Square to ring in the New Year.

He was interviewed by Ryan Seacrest during Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve.

Seacrest askedd him point blank -- Are you running for president?

Bloomberg emphatically said, "NO."

There's no parsing "NO."

I suppose that question could be dissected. Bloomberg hadn't thrown his hat in the ring at the moment when Seacrest posed the question, but certainly, the question referred to his intent to run.

Bloomberg, accompanied by his daughter, said he wanted to play a role, by raising issues and urging the candidates to engage in bipartisanship.

That's lame. Elections aren't about being bipartisan. Yes, there's a need for bipartisanship after the elections, to accomplish work for the people. But before? No. That's the time to stress the differences between candidates, their parties, and their positions.

The important point is that Bloomberg said he was not running for president. He told Ryan Seacrest and a worldwide audience.

Would Bloomberg lie to Seacrest, turn around and run for president?

If he did, Bloomberg can kiss the American Idol fan base vote goodbye.