...but what does that really mean? Sure, the Mayor announced that if NY State's Court of Appeal decides that gay marriages are legal, then NYC will perform them, but the Mayor has always felt that way. Back in 2004, when the issue got hot with gay marriages being performed in San Franciso and New Paltz, NY, Mayor Bloomberg refused to go along, saying that he would follow NY State law. (Attorney General Eliot Spitzer didn't stop the New Paltz marriages, saying he had "no problem with gay marriage.") However, that was before his 2005 election, so who knows what he would have done if the issue came up during his second term; just yesterday, he said on his radio program, "The U.S. Constitution should be something that unites, rather than divides Americans. I do not believe that government should be in the business of telling people who they can and can't marry."

However, the Mayor's opinions on high profile issues like gay marriage, gun control, and the importance of science and medicine make many people wonder if he's interested in running for President at some point (Mayor Bloomberg claims he will concentrate on philanthropy when his second mayoral term ends). The NY Times looks at Bloomberg's attitudes against the national landscape and finds that many pundits doubt he'll run, though his approach, which emphasizes trying to make New Yorkers' lives better, is ringing true with many voters across parties.