Saturday, June 23, 2007 | 7:14 a.m.
T rumpeting a nonpartisan approach to governing, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg left the Republican Party this week to become an independent.
Bloomberg announced that he had switched his voter registration after speaking at a conference urging an end to the fierce partisanship that has bogged down Congress.
"When you go to Washington these days, you can feel a sense of fear in the air, the fear to do anything or say anything that might affect the polls or give the other side the advantage or offend a special interest group," Bloomberg said in a speech Monday.
Every election there is talk in political circles of "reaching across the aisle" and "working in a bipartisan manner," but the difference this year is Washington is still mired in nasty partisanship fostered by the Bush administration that has stifled debate on several important issues, such as the war in Iraq, education and health care.
The Bush White House and the formerly Republican-controlled Congress changed the tenor of political discussion, taking partisan rhetoric to new lows, particularly in questioning the patriotism of anyone who takes a critical look at the Bush administration's war policy.
Bloomberg's message is simple: Neither party has a lock on the answers and the country must come together to solve the nation's problems. That is refreshing to the many Americans tired of rhetoric with no action.
Bloomberg's move, however, may not be merely philosophical. The pragmatism he teaches has served him well both in policy and politics. By leaving the Republican Party, Bloomberg is well positioned for a presidential run. Should he choose to enter the race as an independent, he would avoid a packed primary, much as he did in 2001 when he left the Democratic Party - and its mayoral primary - to run for mayor.
His message, however, should not be dismissed because of speculation about a presidential run. Rank partisanship has gotten us a disastrous war, an astronomical deficit and a soft economy. As Republicans have proven, America needs leadership, not partisan gridlock.
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