So it took about a half-hour for Mayor Michael Bloomberg to utter his first "I am not a candidate" statement here in Oklahoma. The press conference portion of the public began about 12:15 p.m. and so far, while no one has asked the mayor directly if he's running for president, he's clearing the elephant in the auditorium. Just about every questioner so far has asked not just for the panel to weigh in, but for the mayor specifically to answer.
The funniest moment of the event so far is David Abshire, president of the Center for the Presidency in Washington, DC, explaining the opportunity that the next president has to "be a failed president or a great president" and then holding up his new book and plugging it. "It's only $14.95," he said.
Karla Schuster
Plus: Former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn read this statement issued by the bipartisan group.
America is in danger. Our ability to meet and solve the problems that face us is seriously compromised. National surveys reveal that an unprecedented seven out of ten citizens believe that life for our children will not be as good as their own. We are headed in the wrong direction. We share their deep concern and frustration. Our nation is indeed at risk.
--Approval for the United States around the world has dropped to historically low levels, with only one out of four people approving of our country's actions, even in nations that are our longtime allies:
--We have eroded America's credibility and capacity to lead on urgent global and foreign policy issues, including terrrorism, nuclear profileration, climate change, and regional instabilities.
--Our budget and trade deficits are out of control. We are squandering our children's future. The ominous transfer of our national wealth has made our economy vulnerable, and our economic strength and competitiveness are both declining. Middle-income Americans are struggling to keep their homes and jobs and educate their children.
--We are not as secure as we should be. Our military is stretched thin and our nation remains vulnerabvle to catrostrophic terrorism."
bullet: We are being held economically hostage because we have no energy policy worthy of the name.
--Our educational system is failing to prepare our children to succeed in a globalized and technological world.
--Nearly 50 miillion Americans remain without health insurance, and the cost of medical care continues to spiral.
--The failures of bridges in Minnesota, and levees in New Orleans are harsh metaphors for the reckless neglect of our infrastructure.
These critical issues are uniquely interlocked and we must have a national strategy and priotiorization of resources. We are failing to address them because rampant partisanship has paralyzed the ability of our government to act. If we allow polarizing politics to continue, we will remain a nation divided and no matter who is elected this fall, he or she will not have a mandate for governing. Too many in both our parties have sought to energize their bases instead of reaching out to address the issues that concernb our nation as a whole. They appeal to extremes and marginalize those in the commonsense center.
In order to break this partisan impasse, we urge the presidential candidates to provide:
--clear descriptions of how they would establish a government of national unity
--specific strategies for reducing polarization and reaching bipartisan consensus
--plans to go beyond tokenism to appoint a truly bipartisan cabinet with critical posts held by the most qualified people available regardless of political affiliation
--proposals for bipartisan executive and legislative policy groups in critical areas such as national security.
National elections present an opportunity for candidates and citizens to have a serious and civil discussion of the imperative issues facing our country at home and abroad. Today, we urge our fellow citizens, including the news media, to join us in asking the candidates to address these challenges.
If as a nation we begin to ask, debate and address these and other fundamental issues, we can review our committment to community and empower those we elect to govern effectively.
We are convinced that if we establish a government of national unity, we can meet these challenges head on, develop a cohesive strategy prioritizing our responses and matching our goals with our capabilities. In short, we believe that if we unity, we can turn America's peril into America's promise and face our future with optimism.