MIGHT MIKE BLOOMBERG SPEND 2 BILLION BUCKS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT?

BLOOMIE SPENT 108 MILLION BUCKS TO B-A-R-E-L-Y WIN HIS THIRD TERM.

• HE'S BEEN ONLY A FAIR MAYOR; HE'S DONE NO "HEAVY-LIFTING" AND ON THE WHOLE, THE CITY HAS BEEN COASTING SINCE GIULIANI AND SLOWLY AND STEADILY SLIPPING DOWN IN ALMOST EVERY WAY.

• I KNOW: I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR 30 YEARS.

NOW THIS EGOMANIAC IS MAKING MORE NOISE WHICH MANY FEEL INDICATES HIS GROWING AMBITION TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF THE USA.

MOST THINK HE BELIEVES HE COULD WIN BY RUNNING AS A "CENTRIST" IN A RACE AGAINST A LEFT-WING OBAMA AND A RIGHT-WING PALIN.

• AS IF SUSAN COLLINS AND ARLEN SPECTER AND LINCOLN CHAFEE REPRESENTED MOST AMERICANS OR A COHESIVE POLITICAL IDEOLOGY.

• FIRST, THEY COULDN'T WIN; SECOND, THEY REPRESENT NOTHING EXCEPT SPLITTING THE DIFFERENCE - WHICH IS AMORAL AND MORE OFTEN THAN NOT INEFFECTIVE POLITICALLY:

• YOU CANNOT BE A LITTLE PREGNANT,

• AND SOMETIMES YOU MUST DO THINGS FULL-ON --- LIKE THE SURGE --- OR NOT DO IT AT ALL;

• (A "LITTLE SURGE" ... A"CENTRIST/SPLIT-THE-DIFFERENCE SURGE"WOULD BE JUST AS BAD AS NONE AT ALL).

BUT BEYOND THE INEFFICACY AND AMORALITY OF CENTRISM FOR CENTRISM'S SAKE - AND ITS UNPOPULARITY, IS THE LITTLE MATTER OF CAMPAIGN FINANCING:

IF BLOOMBERG SPENT 108 MILLION BUCKS TO GET A SLIM VICTORY BY IN THE CITY THAT KNOWS HIM BEST, THEN HOW MUCH WOULD HE SPEND TO WIN THE PRESIDENCY?

I THINK AT LEAST 2 BILLION BUCKS.

WHAT A WASTE.

AND ANOTHER THING:

I HAVE LONG FELT THAT BLOOMBERG GETS VERY FAVORABLE AND OVERLY FAVORABLE TREATMENT IN THE PRESS BECAUSE HE IS A MEDIA MOGUL WHO COULD POSSIBLY EMPLOY THE REPORTERS AND COMMENTATORS WHO REPORT ON HIM, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO PISS OFF A PROSPECTIVE EMPLOYER.