Fierce Fight for Bloomberg Endorsement

While Michael Bloomberg may not be running for president, his recent announcement that he might endorse another candidate has all three major presidential contenders wooing the New York City Mayor for support. The coveted Bloomberg endorsement would bring both money and media attention to the recipient, a fact well noted by McCain, Clinton, and Obama, all of whom have spoken with Bloomberg over the phone since his announcement. While an endorsement of McCain seemed likely at first, since he endorsed Bloomberg's initial campaign for mayor in 2001, the potential for Bloomberg to throw his weight behind Obama has been steadily growing, as the Illinois Senator was the first to contact Bloomberg, asking the mayor to introduce him at a speech on economic policy in New York. During the speech, Obama praised the mayor's "extraordinary leadership" and lauded him as model for overcoming ideological battles to reach solutions, saying that he shares the mayor's "determination to bring this country together to finally make progress for the American people." While Obama argued for stricter government regulation of financial institutions - a trend opposed by Bloomberg - he went on to praise several of Bloomberg's proposals regarding transportation in Manhattan. While Bloomberg has had less interaction with the other candidates, he already has previous ties to both Clinton and McCain, and thus Obama must work harder to build a relationship with the mayor if he wants the endorsement.