Seeking to reshape a national political debate he finds frustratingly superficial, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York is plunging into the 2012 campaign in its final weeks, creating his own “super PAC” to direct millions of dollars in donations to elect candidates from both parties who he believes will focus on problem solving.
Mr. Bloomberg, a billionaire and a registered independent, expects to spend from $10 million to $15 million of his money in highly competitive state, local and Congressional races. The money would be used to pay for a flurry of advertising on behalf of Republican, Democratic and independent candidates who support three of his biggest policy initiatives: legalizing same-sex marriage, enacting tougher gun laws and overhauling schools.
Among those whom Mr. Bloomberg will support are former Gov. Angus King, an independent running for the United States Senate in Maine; State Senator Gloria Negrete McLeod, who is challenging a fellow Democrat, Representative Joe Baca of California, who the mayor believes has been weak on gun-control; and Representative Bob Dold, a Republican from Illinois who has backed gun-control measures.
Mr. Bloomberg suggested [Obama and Romney] were cowed by the National Rifle Association, which has endorsed Mr. Romney.
The point of his super PAC, he said, was to provide “spine” for politicians under that sort of pressure, which is why, for instance, it is supporting the re-election of Representative Robert J. Dold, a Republican from Illinois. Mr. Dold got a “D” from the National Rifle Association for backing some gun restrictions.
“You’re not going to beat the N.R.A. overnight,” Mr. Bloomberg said. “As you get going, people start realizing that there’s a sane group of people out there that want them to do intelligent things, and that that’s where their support is going to come from.”
“We’ll win some races, we’ll lose some of these, but it’s sort of to get our feet wet,” Mr. Bloomberg said during his weekly appearance on John Gambling’s radio show. “Two years from now, when I don’t have to worry about just what’s good for New York City–I’m going to live here for the rest of my life, my kids are going to live here, I’m going to live in New York State, I’m going to live in America, so I care about all of these levels of government–I’ll be freer to do more.”
Discussing his motivation for the move, Mr. Bloomberg said he’s “complained about this partisanship and lack of cooperation” in Washington, and he finally decided to step up and try to fix things.
“I don’t respect people who complain and don’t try and do something about it,” he said. “Just complaining is not something I think is very productive, so I’m going to try and support candidates–and you can do it with $1, or $10, or voting–but I want to support candidates who believe as I do. Marriage equality and common-sense gun laws and educational reform, people who can work across the aisle.”
* Progress Illinois looked at Bloomberg’s decision last Friday…
Dold, who did not return calls for comment today, says on his campaign Web site that “I have worked with organizations like Mayor Bloomberg’s group, Mayors Against Illegal Guns” and “I support reasonable restrictions on gun ownership.”
But Schneider has similar gun control rhetoric on his Web site and goes a step further by laying out specific legislation he would support as a member of Congress. This includes reinstating the federal assault weapons ban, a bill that President Bill Clinton signed into law in 1996, which expired in 2004.
Dold has not given his position on the assaults weapon ban. In an interview with the Vernon Hills Review this August, campaign spokesman John McGovern answered a question about the assault weapons ban by noting that Dold “supports closing gun show loopholes” and “has worked with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to support legislation to keep firearms out of the hands of potential terrorists.”
* In another race, Democrat Bill Foster has a new TV ad. Rate it…
This will help because there are no other republicans other than mark kirk who can validate for dold with democrats and independents anymore. McCain and Rudy used to do this for Kirk, but they’re out of office or burned that away. That Democrats can’t nail Dold on issues like guns, where they should be able to put him on defense, is one of the reasons they haven’t been able to win that seat for 12 years.
Schneider very curiously has barney frank in town next week which I’ve never seen before and has hit the GLBT issues really hard which is also new.
“Mayors against illegal guns” have as many members that have been charged or convicted of a felony as the entire readership of this blog. I do not know if this is a good endorsement or bad.
==Schneider very curiously has barney frank in town next week which I’ve never seen before and has hit the GLBT issues really hard which is also new.==
Maybe Schneider is wisely already positioning himself to run in a different district next time? Or is the thing with Barney more a fundraiser to help Brad with campaign debts? I agree it’s curious.
Many of us think there is too much bipartisanship on helping the Goldman-Halliburton economy and too little partisanship on policies that actually help regular people.
If the problem is not enough bi-partisanship, help put the Republican in the minority so much that they can’t filibuster every bill in the U.S. Senate and can’t block anything in the House.
Bloomberg is backing people like Bob Dold and Scott Brown this election because he knows they will be in his pocket when it comes to watering down/repealing Wall Street reforms.
If all he cared about was gun control then I think his endorsements would not be going to empower Republican majorities.
“Schneider very curiously has barney frank in town next week which I’ve never seen before and has hit the GLBT issues really hard which is also new.”
Barney Frank isn’t running for re-election so he is available to make appearances and help Dems raise money.
As for GLBT being a bigger issue this campaign, that’s because it’s become a wedge issue that works for Democrats especially in a district like the 10th.
- Shore - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:00 pm:
This will help because there are no other republicans other than mark kirk who can validate for dold with democrats and independents anymore. McCain and Rudy used to do this for Kirk, but they’re out of office or burned that away. That Democrats can’t nail Dold on issues like guns, where they should be able to put him on defense, is one of the reasons they haven’t been able to win that seat for 12 years.
Schneider very curiously has barney frank in town next week which I’ve never seen before and has hit the GLBT issues really hard which is also new.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:06 pm:
I guess that means Dold is anti Big Gulp drinks..Just like Mayor Really Big Brother!!!!!!!
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:28 pm:
The dude’s worth $25 billion and will be a real money player when he leaves office.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 1:37 pm:
“Mayors against illegal guns” have as many members that have been charged or convicted of a felony as the entire readership of this blog. I do not know if this is a good endorsement or bad.
- Liandro - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 2:01 pm:
Gun control…so tea party. Heh.
- Responsa - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 2:27 pm:
==Schneider very curiously has barney frank in town next week which I’ve never seen before and has hit the GLBT issues really hard which is also new.==
Maybe Schneider is wisely already positioning himself to run in a different district next time? Or is the thing with Barney more a fundraiser to help Brad with campaign debts? I agree it’s curious.
- Carl Nyberg - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:59 pm:
Many of us think there is too much bipartisanship on helping the Goldman-Halliburton economy and too little partisanship on policies that actually help regular people.
If the problem is not enough bi-partisanship, help put the Republican in the minority so much that they can’t filibuster every bill in the U.S. Senate and can’t block anything in the House.
Then the GOP will discover they can compromise.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 3:59 pm:
Bloomberg is backing people like Bob Dold and Scott Brown this election because he knows they will be in his pocket when it comes to watering down/repealing Wall Street reforms.
If all he cared about was gun control then I think his endorsements would not be going to empower Republican majorities.
- hisgirlfriday - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:02 pm:
“Schneider very curiously has barney frank in town next week which I’ve never seen before and has hit the GLBT issues really hard which is also new.”
Barney Frank isn’t running for re-election so he is available to make appearances and help Dems raise money.
As for GLBT being a bigger issue this campaign, that’s because it’s become a wedge issue that works for Democrats especially in a district like the 10th.
- frustrated GOP - Tuesday, Oct 23, 12 @ 4:15 pm:
Foster has a good story, if he would tell it and stay away from negatives he would do much better.He should just buy airtime and play the debate.