Bingo.

Yep. Came to realize that recently.

That is true.  Didn't Ed Koch run as the Liberal, Democratic and Republican candidate at one time?  

I have never voted for Bloomberg but this is very common in NY.  There is a law known as Wilson-Pakula which allows people to run on multiple party lines and have the votes tallied together.  There is no doubt that Bloomberg is a total opportunist but this really isn't as big a deal as it sounds.  

Incidentally, Bloomberg could be vulnerable if City Comptroller Bill Thompson gets the Dem nomination.  He would be the first truly good candidate the Dems have had since losing the Mayoralty in 1993.  

I think Anthony Weiner will get his head handed to him, especially after the NY Times article showing how he can't hold onto staff in his Congressional office.  If you can't manage a staff of 18 people effectively, how is he going to manage a city with 300K employees?

Really? You could have fooled me. He sure hasn't helped the economic meltdown any. And he showers money on developers while shutting down firehouses. His outsourcing of our education system led to a massive fiasco in pre-K registration, and in my neighborhood pre-K is being cut altogether. The applications process for Middle School have become worse than applying for college with interviews, tours, tests and essays...for MIDDLE SCHOOL!

I think his 311 idea was brilliant and I like his smoking ban. Beyond that he's been mediocre to outright bad.

Sure, but his privatizing our education system (usually helping his friends in the process) sure seems Republican. And he was the biggest individual donor to Tom DeLay's PAC before DeLay imploded. At what point does cynical manouvering become just as bad as conservative ideology?

I used to like Weiner but after that article in the NY Times I have come to the realization Mayor is not the job for him.  Part of being a strong manager, a key to being a successful Mayor, is having the ability to hold onto and cultivate staff.  Weiner can't do that with a staff of 18 as a member of Congress.  How is he going to do that with 300K employees?  

For my money, Bill Thompson is a stronger candidate with broader appeal than Weiner.  That is who I plan to support.

Weiner will have some good backing and came off looking good last time around. I think he has a good shot if all the ducks I think are lining up behind him really do line up.

Thompson is seen as having a good shot as well, but I fear a Ferrer-like disaster. But I am open to Thompson. My initial impressions of candidates aren't always acurate until I actually meet them or hear them in person. I didn't like Howard Dean until I heard him live! So I so far don't feel Thompson has a good shot, but many disagree with me.

Other than Weiner and Thompson, I am so far unconvinced that anyone has a shot. But you never know.

Here's one view on this. I think by the time of the election, it will be largely forgotten. But it has been a blow to his popularity. And the Republican brand is pretty ruined in NY State in general, so I think being Repub would hurt him now.