Reeling With the Feeling, Don't Stop, Continue

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OK, now this is exploiting the economic crisis.

In an act that promises to upend New York City's political world, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg plans to announce Thursday that he will seek a third term as mayor, according to four people who have been told of his intentions.

In his appearance on Thursday, they said, Mr. Bloomberg, a former Wall Street trader and the founder of a billion-dollar financial data firm, will argue that the worldwide financial crisis—with its potentially severe impact on New York City—demands his steady hand and business experience.

As the Times points out, Bloomberg used to be a supporter of term limits. He had real life experience with the law when, in 2001, Rudy Giuliani mused about entering the election between Bloomberg and Mark Green to win a third caretaker term. No one believes that some political novice billionaire could guide the city through the wreckage of 9/11. And then he, you know, did. So why not just talk former Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons into re-entering the race, if the times call for business experience?

Is Bloomberg regretting that he didn't jump into the presidential race? Maybe the popularity of Obama and McCain made the prospect less likely, but on Earth-2, where Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, and Ron Paul took the D, R, and L nominations…

My 2007 skeptic's take on Bloombergmania is here.