From the New York Times, NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg writes on their Op-Ed pages:
I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president.
Bloomberg continues:
I have watched this campaign unfold, and I am hopeful that the current campaigns can rise to the challenge by offering truly independent leadership. The most productive role that I can serve is to push them forward, by using the means at my disposal to promote a real and honest debate.
In the weeks and months ahead, I will continue to work to steer the national conversation away from partisanship and toward unity; away from ideology and toward common sense; away from sound bites and toward substance. And while I have always said I am not running for president, the race is too important to sit on the sidelines, and so I have changed my mind in one area. If a candidate takes an independent, nonpartisan approach — and embraces practical solutions that challenge party orthodoxy — I’ll join others in helping that candidate win the White House.
I have to say, I'm actually relieved to read this. Of all the potential non-Democratic candidates, he's the one I feared most. I wonder if that breakfast meeting and conversation he had with Obama a few weeks ago made a difference to him.