Bloomberg Takes Manhattan (For Now)

ABC News’ Ed O’Keefe Reports: New York’s Republican Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he isn’t running for president.  No, really.  Well, maybe just not yet.

Reuters reports that Bloomberg, touring in Mexico, told reporters, "Let me make it clear: I am not a candidate for president of the United States.  I plan to spend the next 984 days being mayor of what I think is the greatest city in the world." 

Speculation has swirled for months that the billionaire businessman turned politician could enter the presidential fray with an Independent bid for the White House.  And Bloomberg, it seems, has done little to discourage the ever churning rumor mill.

Just last month, the Washington Post reported that Bloomberg, 65, told confidants that he will decide about a run in 2008 — after it has become clear whom Democrats and Republicans will nominate.

Bloomberg’s public stance remains clear: he’ll take Manhattan for now.  But political pundits point out that the Mayor has yet to make a "Sherman-esque"* statement disqualifying the notion entirely.

*(General William Tecumseh Sherman declined a run for 1884 Republican nomination by asserting in no uncertain terms, "If drafted, I will not run; if nominated, I will not accept; if elected, I will not serve.")

Politicians generally resist making such strong statements — lest they be removed from the political discourse surrounding the help wanted sign over the Oval Office.

Vice President Al Gore told ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos in June of 2006, "I have no plans to be a candidate for president again."  But, Gore then quickly added, "I don’t expect to ever be a candidate for president again.  I haven’t made a so-called Sherman statement, because it just seems unnecessary."

The Former Veep’s lecture inspired documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" has since won two Academy Awards and he’s been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his global warming work.  And still, no Sherman statement.

Others flirting with a White House run in the already crowded nomination field include former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., and actor-turned-politician-turned-actor and ABC News Radio personality former Senator Fred Thompson, R-Tenn.

Gingrich has repeatedly said he’ll make the call in September of 2007 while the "Law & Order" actor is being coy about a bid, making unprompted health announcements and leaving his surrogates to stir the pot.

Bloomberg is number 142 on the Forbes list of the word’s richest people and is said to be worth at least $5.5 billion.  He spent an estimated $85 million in his 2005 campaign for New York mayor against Democrat Fernando Ferrer.

ABC News’ Jake Whitman contributed to this report.