New York's Mayor Michael Bloomberg leaving the GOP

Bloomberg never was a real Republican. But he's done with the GOP according to the "City Room" blog at the NY Times:

Michael R. Bloomberg, a longtime Democrat who switched to the Republican Party to run for mayor of New York City in 2001, announced this evening that he is changing his party status and registering as an independent. Mr. Bloomberg maintained that "my plans for the future haven't changed," but his decision - the first change in party affiliation by a sitting New York City mayor since 1971, when John V. Lindsay switched from Republican to Democrat - immediately set off intense speculation that he will enter the 2008 presidential race as an independent.

I was watching NBC Nightly News and heard Tim Russert saying that the left attacking right and the right attacking left leaves a wide space in the center and Michael Bloomberg may one day decide to fill that center. He said that Bloomberg may put up to 500 million dollars of his money in the presidential campaign of 2008, but will decide to run only if he feels that he can win.

An interesting candidate to watch.