The political rumor mill is buzzing with speculation that anti-gun New York City Michael Bloomberg could launch a self-financed, third party bid for the presidency, spending up to a half billion dollars from his personal fortune.
President Michael Bloomberg. Has an ominous ring to it, doesn't it? According to a story in the The Washington Post (March 26), the political rumor mill is buzzing about a potential third party bid for the White House by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R).
According to the Post piece, Bloomberg could dump a half billion (that's "billion" with a "B") of his own fortune into a presidential bid. Sound far-fetched? Well, Forbes magazine lists the New York City mayor as the 142nd richest person in the world—worth an estimated $5.5 billion. If past is prologue, Hizzoner has no problem self-financing his electoral ambitions, as in his 2005 race for mayor, Bloomberg spent $85 million.
What would the prospect of a self-financed, billionaire, third party presidential candidate mean for gun owners? Well, if that candidate is Michael Bloomberg, we just need to look at his recent anti-gun resume:
- Head of the innocuous sounding "Mayors Against Illegal Guns" coalition—an anti-gun front group calling for additional restrictions that would gravely impact lawful gun owners and law enforcement efforts.
- Admonished by the Department of Justice for stepping well outside his legal jurisdiction to conduct an illegal, private, undercover "sting" operation using private investigators to stage straw purchases in the hopes of catching dealers engaging in illegal sales.
And that's just for starters!
This story is developing. We will keep you posted on any relevant details in future issues of the Grassroots Alert.