Under the Gun, Bloomberg Answers Questions About Presidential Aspirations

Mayor Bloomberg may be finding that coy flirtation can be cute at first, but quickly becomes old and aggravating if carried on for too long. The New York Times has a story today describing a growing backlash against a Mayor who seems preoccupied with something big, but it's something big that he won't discuss, or even acknowledge.

With the City on the verge of a fiscal meltdown and several controversial proposals like congestion pricing in the works, many New Yorkers are wondering why their Mayor is flying all over the country and the world stumping for a candidacy that he refuses to stake a claim to. The Times describes growing frustration across the political spectrum:

The political parlor game — Will he run? When will he decide? How much could he spend? — that has so delighted Mr. Bloomberg is suddenly sparking a backlash. Editorial pages from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Post, The Village Voice and The New Yorker have taken him to task. Members of the administration have been rolling their eyes and referring to Kevin Sheekey, Mr. Bloomberg’s political architect, as the deputy mayor for presidential politics.

Even under oath, Mayor Bloomberg remains evasive. He was deposed yesterday in a lawsuit brought by a South Carolina gun dealer opposed to Bloomberg's multi-city anti-gun initiative. Asked whether he was running for President, Mayor Mike remained predictably cagey with his answers. "I was not planning to run for president then. I was never at that period of time — in the period I was instructed to be able to answer — considering running for president."

And when asked about his personal wealth, Bloomberg only conceded that he was a billionaire, but didn't elaborate. While being grilled, the Mayor admitted that he was glad he wasn't a lawyer. The opposition's lawyer noted "That might get you elected president." The Sun reports that Mayor Bloomberg simply smiled at the response.