Lieberman: McCain Could Keep Bloomberg Out of Race
by Russell Berman
Thu, 31 Jan 2008 at 3:21 PM
Senator Lieberman says the increasing likelihood that Senator McCain will win the Republican nomination could keep Mayor Bloomberg on the sidelines of the presidential race this fall.
"My feeling all along has been that if he ran, it would be because he had a real reason to run, and frankly, he and John McCain have a lot in common," the Connecticut senator said in a telephone interview this afternoon. "So if John gets the nomination, I would guess it's less likely the mayor will run for president."
"But," he added, "obviously that's his decision to make, and I respect it."
An independent who caucuses with the Democrats, Mr. Lieberman has endorsed Mr. McCain and will make his first campaign appearance in New York City tomorrow when he greets volunteers at a phone bank at the headquarters of the Sergeants Benevolent Association in Lower Manhattan. He remains close, however, with Mr. Bloomberg, who helped him secure a hard-fought re-election win in 2006.
Mr. Lieberman hinted that he might support a Bloomberg bid if Mr. McCain loses the Republican race.
"In that case, I hope he'd think about it, because I think he's up to the job," he said of the mayor.
Mr. Bloomberg lost another potential top supporter this afternoon when Governor Schwarzenegger announced he was backing Mr. McCain. The California governor has referred to Mr. Bloomberg as his "soul mate," and the two share a passion for non-partisanship.
Related Topics: General Election, GOP Primary
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