NY Mayor Bloomberg Touts John McCain but falls short of endorsement

ABC News' Teddy Davis Reports: New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg plans to reinject himself into the presidential campaign on Friday by talking up Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., in a speech to the Independence Party of Minnesota.

Bloomberg plans to praise McCain's record of bucking his own party while stopping short of making an endorsement.

"I feel confident that there will be some positive statements about Sen. McCain," said party chair Craig Swaggert based on indications he began receiving from Bloomberg aides in "the last week or so."

A Bloomberg spokesperson did not quibble with Swaggert's expectation that the New York mayor will single out McCain for praise when he speaks to the party's $100 per head fundraiser. "We look forward to the speech in Minneapolis," said Lindsay Ellenbogen, a Bloomberg spokesperson. "I expect him to talk about effective independent leadership and leaders who exemplify it."

Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, philanthropist, and the Mayor of New York City. Although a lifelong Democrat, he ran on the Republican ballot and was elected mayor in 2001, then reelected to a second term in 2005.

He was frequently mentioned as a possible independent candidate for the 2008 presidential election and fueled that speculation when he left the Republican Party in June 2007. He repeatedly denied any plans to run and said the news media had concocted rumors of his possible presidential bid. He ended speculation on the matter in a February 2008 New York Times Op-Ed piece where he wrote "I listened carefully to those who encouraged me to run, but I am not — and will not be — a candidate for president." There is also much speculation that he will run as a vice-presidential candidate.