New York Mayor Bloomberg Backs Democrats, Abortion Advocates

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 7, 2006   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

New York Mayor Bloomberg Backs Democrats, Abortion Advocates Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
November 7
, 2006

New York, NY (LifeNews.com) — New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was a life-long Democrats before he decided to run for mayor of the largest city in the US as a Republican. Despite his party change, Bloomberg has been backing Democrats and abortion advocates — something that may come back to haunt him should he seek the presidency in 2008.

Bloomberg has drawn the ire of Republicans nationwide for various campaigning for Democrats and his latest involvement has him in the middle of a hotly contested Senate race in Missouri.

The mayor has loaned five administration aides to assist pro-abortion Democrat Claire McCaskill as she takes on pro-life Sen. Jim Talent, a Republican. The race is close and could wind up determining who controls the Senate.

The New York Daily News interviewed a Bloomberg official who said the mayor got involved in the race because McCaskill backs embryonic stem cell research and a Missouri ballot measure that would promote human cloning.

"Given the chance to help on the closest Senate race in the country, where the outcome of the election and maybe the makeup of the Senate hang on an issue that happens to be near and dear to the mayor’s heart, some former campaign staffers jumped at the opportunity," the source told the newspaper about his staff’s involvement.

Bloomberg has been bipartisan in his election support.

He’s backed Republican governors Arnold Schwarzenegger of California and Jodi Rell of Connecticut as well as Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, a Democrat, and independent Senate candidate Joe Lieberman.

Should Bloomberg decide to seek the Republican nomination in 2008, his actions may cost him support.

But, the split in party loyalties may point to something the mayor has hinted at — an independent bid for the White House in 2008.

As someone who could put in millions of his own money into a campaign, he would be instantly competitive. Bloomberg could also draw business-minded Republican voters and social-liberal Democrats in a campaign that would take votes away from both parties.

Bloomberg has been a staunch abortion and embryonic stem cell research advocate — blasting President Bush for vetoing a bill forcing taxpayers to fund the research and forcing medical students in New York to learn how to do abortions.

He also donated $100 million to his alma mater, Johns Hopkins University for embryonic stem cell research.