Bloomberg and the 2008 Money Race

I tried asking Mike Bloomberg if the record-breaking fund-raising by some of the 2008 White House candidates makes it easier to use nationally the message he employed in the 2005 mayoral race: that a self-financed candidate isn't beholden to campaign contributors.

After saying he's not running, Bloomberg offered this gem: a pre-emptive argument that anybody can raise money if they have good ideas.

"I think also it's fascinating, there's no evidence that you can't raise a lot of money if the public likes you. Take a look at Howard Dean over the internet foru years ago. It was, all of a sudden, an enormous amount of money. Barack Obama, you know, six months ago, wasn't on the radar screen. Today, he can raise an enormous amount of money. So, the ability to raise money is there if you have good ideas--ideas that some people think are good."

Which is an argument a self-financed candidate may need to trot out in order to fend off accusations he's buying a campaign.

-- Azi Paybarah