memeorandum: Bloomberg Severs G.O.P. Ties, Fueling Talk of '08 Bid (New York Times)

11:10 AM ET, June 20, 2007

Top Items:

Bloomberg Severs G.O.P. Ties, Fueling Talk of '08 Bid — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg announced Tuesday that he was dropping his Republican affiliation, a step that could clear the way for him to make an independent bid for the presidency. — The announcement was released during …

Discussion: TalkLeft, CNN Political Ticker, The Atlantic Online, MyDD, MSNBC, rubber hose, The Impolitic, Right Wing Nut House, The Carpetbagger Report, News Bloggers Blog, The Reaction, Comments From Left Field, Donklephant, The Gun Toting Liberal™, All Spin Zone and Crooks and Liars

Ben Smith / The Politico:

Billion-dollar elephant inches toward run — New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed Monday that he has ended his marriage of convenience with the Republican Party, thrusting himself firmly onto the national stage as a potential independent candidate for president - a billion-dollar elephant in the room of presidential politics.

Discussion: Townhall.com, TIME and Vox Popoli

Michael D. Shear / Washington Post:

N.Y. Mayor Bloomberg Leaves GOP — Move Fuels Speculation About Independent Bid for the White House — New York Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg abruptly left the Republican Party yesterday, declaring himself free of a "rigid adherence" to ideology and stoking speculation that he will use …

Discussion: Cincinnati Enquirer, The Politico and New York Times

Adam Nagourney / New York Times:

Bloomberg Quits G.O.P., Stirring Talk About '08 Race — Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg of New York announced this evening that he was quitting the Republican Party and changing his political affiliation to independent. — The announcement came after Mr. Bloomberg gave a speech denouncing partisan gridlock …

Discussion: WCBS-TV, Don Surber, New York Sun, QandO, Outside The Beltway, ImmigrationProf Blog and MyDD

Carla Marinucci / SFGate:

Bloomberg-Schwarzenegger in '08? — Potential running mates surround L.A. mayor Antonio Villaraigosa — LATE WORD OUT OF THE CONFERENCE: — Shortly after the conference ended today, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg fueled the presidential speculation when his office released a statement …

Discussion: The Fix, Captain's Quarters, The Moderate Voice, The Nose On Your Face, Salon, A Blog For All, Michael P.F. van der Galiën and No More Mister Nice Blog

Quinnipiac University News and Events:

June 20, 2007 - Clinton Tops Giuliani, Bloomberg In New York State, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; Thompson Tops McCain Among Republicans — In a hypothetical all-New York presidential race, Sen. Hillary Clinton wins with 43 percent of voters statewide, followed by former …

Discussion: The Swamp, City Room and TIME

NY Daily News:
Mayor to GOP: We're through

Discussion: Gawker

Scott Helman / Boston Globe:
Bloomberg quits GOP, stirs buzz

Discussion: New York Post and City Room

Ann Althouse / Althouse:

The new Hillary Clinton video is a take on the last scene of "The Sopranos." — It's clever, the way the video uses the jukebox business from the last "Sopranos" episode to remind us of Hillary's theme song contest. In case you care, I'll just tell you that the winner is "You and I," …

Joe Gandelman / The Moderate Voice:
Hillary Clinton Spoofs The Last Scene Of The Sopranos

Discussion: The Gun Toting Liberal™ and The Democratic Daily

Alex Spillius / Telegraph:
Two for the price of one, if Hillary wins

Discussion: Heading Right and Captain's Quarters

David Segal / Washington Post:
Carl Bernstein, Back on the Beat

Discussion: mediabistro.com and Romenesko

The Politico:

Edwards looks to N.H. to stay alive — John Edwards, battling signs he may be left behind by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, is seeking to reinvigorate his candidacy with a new focus on New Hampshire and a renewed emphasis on his populist "two Americas" message, advisers say.

Discussion: Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and The Caucus

Patrick Healy / The Caucus:
Clinton Gets Better Reception on Iraq

Discussion: Reason Magazine

National Lampoon Humor Network:

National Lampoon's 72 Virgins — Two idiot college students unwittingly join an Al Qaeda cell in order to get the 72 virgins promised to terrorists when they die. From the makers of Animal House, Van Wilder, and the Vacation movies. Join the Jihad at NationalLampoon.com!

Discussion: NewsBusters.org and Little Green Footballs

Guardian:

China overtakes US as world's biggest CO2 emitter — China has overtaken the United States as the world's biggest producer of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, figures released today show. — The surprising announcement will increase anxiety about China's growing role in driving man …

Discussion: Captain's Quarters, QandO, Right Wing News, NewsBusters.org and The Volokh Conspiracy

Roger Harrabin / BBC:
China building more power plants

Discussion: NewsBusters.org

Jane Hamsher / Firedoglake:

Ladies and Gentlemen, Digby — From the Take Back America conference — Joe Wilson, Digby, Rick Perlstein. — No Trackbacks to "Ladies and Gentlemen, Digby" — dakine01 says: … SeamusD says: … Joe Klein's conscience says: … Jane Hamsher says:

Discussion: Blue Gal, Shakesville, The American Street, The Sideshow and NO QUARTER

Michael R. Gordon / New York Times:

U.S. Seeks to Block Exits for Iraq Insurgents — In more than four years in Iraq, American forces have been confounded by insurgents who have often slipped away only to fight another day. The war in Iraq has been likened to the arcade game of whack-a-mole, where as soon as you knock down one mole another pops up.

Discussion: Lawyers, Guns and Money, The Heretik, The Atlantic Online, The Swamp and Kiko's House

Ryan Lizza / The New Republic:

RICHARDSON'S LATEST: — Yesterday at the Take Back America conference Bill Richardson attacked his Democratic primary opponents for supporting recent legislation on Iraq. Said Richardson: … What is the nefarious legislation Richardson's opponents supported?

Discussion: Taegan Goddard's … and Hot Air

White House:

President Bush Meets With Prime Minister Olmert of Israel — PRESIDENT BUSH: Mr. Prime Minister, thanks for coming. I've been looking forward to this visit. Last time we were together we had a long and serious discussion about what we can do together to keep the peace.

Discussion: Firedoglake, Reuters, First Draft and Israpundit

Michael D. Evans / Jerusalem Post:

Father of the Iranian revolution — We just don't get it. The Left in America is screaming to high heaven that the mess we are in in Iraq and the war on terrorism has been caused by the right-wing and that George W. Bush, the so-called "dim-witted cowboy," has created the entire mess.

Discussion: Power Line and Dr. Sanity

Emmanuel Sivan / Haaretz:

Thus are reports about the Mideast generated — A friend of mine, a Lebanese journalist, tells the following story: — Three years ago, when his country was under Syrian control, he was stopped at a surprise Syrian roadblock north of Beirut. A strong-looking mustachioed officer asked to see his papers.

Discussion: A Blog For All, Hot Air and National Review

Steve Herman / Associated Press:

Simulation finds 9/11 fireproofing key — INDIANAPOLIS - A computer simulation of the 2001 World Trade Center attacks supports a federal agency's findings that the initial impact from the hijacked airplanes stripped away crucial fireproofing material and that the weakened towers collapsed under their own weight.

Discussion: Blue Crab Boulevard and Truthdig