I’ll be posting at UniteForMike.com from now on.  Be sure to get involved!

Yesterday, the mayor announced that Daniel Doctoroff, his deputy mayor for economic development and one of his closest advisers, is leaving to become president of Bloomberg L.P.  One writer speculates that this move could be in preparation for a Presidential run, with Bloomberg wanting to put someone he trusts at the head of his company, and also in case it ends up being sold.

Doctoroff gave the mayor some glowing praise in an interview:

“I think he would be a fabulous president. I think sometimes we don’t appreciate – or maybe we do – about how rare the kind of leadership that he’s providing is,” Doctoroff told NY1’s Sandra Endo. “Here we are in New York City today with a mayor who is completely independent, has absolute integrity, and brings a degree of civility to public discourse that I think is really responsible for our being able to get these big bold things done, in a very diverse fractious city.”

Asked by Endo whether he thinks Bloomberg should run, Doctoroff replied:

“I wish he would but you know there are real serious political and other considerations, but I think he’d be fabulous.”

The New York Sun lays out Bloomberg’s chances of winning various states, coming to the conclusion that he has a shot to win 312 electoral votes if he wins California (which would be helped by a Schwarzenegger endorsement), Florida, and New York, along with various Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northwest states.

Douglas Bailey, a former Republican strategist who co-founded Unity08, an organization dedicated to creating a bipartisan presidential ticket, said between 35% and 40% of the country’s voters label themselves as independent, and another 8% to 10% of voters say they are willing to vote for candidates outside their party.

“In the country as a whole, and in virtually every state, there is upwards of 55% of the electorate that is available,” he said.

In the another major announcement, Bloomberg shows once again that local government can take meaningful action on climate change when the federal government does not. The city is announcing an $800 million plan to reduce carbon emissions and energy consumption of municipal buildings by 30 percent by 2017.

“We’ve made a serious commitment to reducing the level of carbon emissions citywide, and as I’ve said repeatedly, City government must lead by example,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “The short-term action plan that was submitted to me today by the steering committee will serve as a blueprint for moving forward this year, and will serve as the foundation for our 10-year plan to reduce emissions by 30 percent. And in addition to reducing emissions in City government operations and City-owned buildings, our actions will serve as a model for the private sector.”

Mayor Bloomberg announced a new non-profit organization, the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, which will reduce the risk of foreclosure for NYC homeowners though a variety of services.

“Thanks to the Center for NYC Neighborhoods, many worried homeowners will sleep more soundly because their most important asset will be protected,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “Homeownership hasn’t only been a path to building wealth and achieving the American dream, for cities like ours, increased rates of homeownership have meant stronger, thriving communities. By helping homeowners and potential homeowners navigate the world of sub-prime loans, we are helping New York to continue to grow and prosper.”

Bloomberg adviser Kevin Sheekey has joined several Draft Bloomberg and Bloomberg for President groups on the social networking site Facebook, as well as adding himself as a fan of Draft Mike Bloomberg.  He is a key inner circle member who has been called Bloomberg’s political mastermind, and has previously stated his wish that Bloomberg would run.

Well, who did you expect? Michael Bloomberg is by far New York’s most successful digital entrepreneur. He’s also the city’s Mayor and one of its richest inhabitants.

Michael Bloomberg is so successful and influential, in fact, that he puts most of Wall Street’s and Silicon Valley’s titans to shame.  His raw competence as a visionary, manager, leader, and communicator has inspired not a generation of New York entrepreneurs and business leaders but millions of other New Yorkers.

CNet has a write-up, and you can see the full list and his entry.

Barack may have Oprah stumping for him, but the folks who feel Mayor Michael Bloomberg would be the best candidate for president this coming year are not letting things be decided by the media moguls. To help organize their favorite billionaire’s undeclared potential, the “Draft Bloomberg” camp has launched UniteforMike.com. It’s the one-stop shop for all things related to the groundswell of support in favor of putting Bloomy in the White House.

New York Press, New York Observer

Link

In an interview with Ken Silverstein of Harper’s Magazine, pollster John Zogby says he thinks the only independent/third-party candidates who could have an effect are Bloomberg, Lou Dobbs, and Ralph Nader. He says he wouldn’t rule out a Bloomberg victory if the public grows tired of the major party nominees.

With Bloomberg, if you have a dream and $1 billion to spend it’s amazing what you can achieve. When we ask people what characteristics they are looking for in a president, the top three are a competent manager, the ability to work with the opposition, and someone who can command the armed forces. Bloomberg does well on all three, if you include his commanding the New York police and fire departments as mayor.

What about founding and managing a multi-billion dollar corporation?