December 18, 2007 -- Mayor Bloomberg's aides have been reaching out to consultants from his past campaigns about whether they are free for a possible 2008 White House bid - including one who helped make his slick mayoral TV spots, The Post has learned.
The moves took place in the past few weeks, as the primaries for the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees are about to begin - and aides have suggested that he will wait and see who the nominees are before making a decision about an independent White House run.
Bloomberg aides reached out to people involved in ad-making - including one who had been involved in creating the mayor's vaunted TV spots - asking about their availability in the coming months, the sources said.
That Bloomberg aides would look to lock up an ad team dovetails with what the mayor has privately told people about how he would spend up to $1 billion of his own fortune on an independent run, which would be played out mostly on the TV airwaves and through direct mail.
The Post has learned that a New York political activist who worked on the mayor's last campaign had been planning on joining up with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign team and reached out to discuss it first with Bloomberg's aides.
Bloomberg's advisers told the politico he should not sign up with another campaign and instead wait and see what happens with the mayor, the sources said.
The new flurry of activity by Bloomberg's political aides - led by Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey - comes amid speculation about whether the mayor will make a third-party campaign.
A Bloomberg spokesman declined comment.
Bloomberg himself has insisted he has "no plans" to run for president, even while talking privately about the possibility - and while allowing Sheekey to drum up interest and scope out the logistics of a run.
Sheekey has said publicly that the mayor doesn't have to make a decision before March 5.
That's the day after the Texas primary elections - but it's also the first date that nominating petitions for an independent candidate in the state can be circulated.
Asked about the latest rumor-generating trip he took - this one to China and Indonesia - Bloomberg insisted again that he was not looking for another elected office.
"I don't have any plans to run for president, but I'm glad to see there's lots of choices there," he said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12182007/news/nationalnews/mike_eyes_08_team_792708.htm
The moves took place in the past few weeks, as the primaries for the Republican and Democratic presidential nominees are about to begin - and aides have suggested that he will wait and see who the nominees are before making a decision about an independent White House run.
Bloomberg aides reached out to people involved in ad-making - including one who had been involved in creating the mayor's vaunted TV spots - asking about their availability in the coming months, the sources said.
That Bloomberg aides would look to lock up an ad team dovetails with what the mayor has privately told people about how he would spend up to $1 billion of his own fortune on an independent run, which would be played out mostly on the TV airwaves and through direct mail.
The Post has learned that a New York political activist who worked on the mayor's last campaign had been planning on joining up with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign team and reached out to discuss it first with Bloomberg's aides.
Bloomberg's advisers told the politico he should not sign up with another campaign and instead wait and see what happens with the mayor, the sources said.
The new flurry of activity by Bloomberg's political aides - led by Deputy Mayor Kevin Sheekey - comes amid speculation about whether the mayor will make a third-party campaign.
A Bloomberg spokesman declined comment.
Bloomberg himself has insisted he has "no plans" to run for president, even while talking privately about the possibility - and while allowing Sheekey to drum up interest and scope out the logistics of a run.
Sheekey has said publicly that the mayor doesn't have to make a decision before March 5.
That's the day after the Texas primary elections - but it's also the first date that nominating petitions for an independent candidate in the state can be circulated.
Asked about the latest rumor-generating trip he took - this one to China and Indonesia - Bloomberg insisted again that he was not looking for another elected office.
"I don't have any plans to run for president, but I'm glad to see there's lots of choices there," he said.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/12182007/news/nationalnews/mike_eyes_08_team_792708.htm
