Bloomberg: The mayor that affects all of us

Here's a preview of my next column, which will appear in Monday's edition of The Morning Sun newspaper:

Rudy Giuliani became known as “America’s mayor” in the aftermath of 9/11, but his successor, Michael Bloomberg, has laid a claim to the moniker ahead of the expiration of his third and final term of office.

Bloomberg, the Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent mayor of New York, has a political ideology chiefly focused on good governance. On fiscal matters, he charts a largely center-right course, while on social issues he tacks left.

At his core, Bloomberg is the epitome of a non-politician. A contrarian — a man without a party — who has literally given the middle finger to New York’s notorious party bosses.

All this has made him a darling of the media, which has long tried to launch a Bloomberg presidential campaign. (The same phenomena occurred with another mayor, John Lindsay, whose star power ended up being a dud outside the five boroughs.)

Despite not running for president, Bloomberg’s political engagement isn’t limited to the mayoralty.

He has stepped into the national debate on numerous issues. A perfect example is the debate he ignited at kitchen tables across the country with his crusade against pop, sugary drinks and unhealthy food.

Bloomberg’s frustrations with President Barack Obama — the failed economic policies and class warfare rhetoric top the mayor’s complaints — have been well publicized. Just last week he said Republican Mitt Romney would do a better job running the country, according to published reports.

 The full column will be posted once the newspaper publishes.

— Dennis Lennox