NY Daily News article by Elizabeth Benjamin

Pol plans to launch 3rd party for '08 presidential election

Monday, September 17th 2007

Just in case Mayor Bloomberg changes his mind about seeking the White House, Frank MacKay plans to have a national third party ready and waiting to help Hizzoner get there.

And if not Bloomberg, then some other rich, apolitical candidate will do.

MacKay, chairman of New York's Independence Party, is poised to launch the Independence Party of America - a 50-state initiative designed to get a nonmajor party candidate on the 2008 presidential ballot.

The party's first organizational meeting is scheduled for next Sunday at the White Plains Crowne Plaza.

MacKay, who says he's in regular contact with Bloomberg political guru Kevin Sheekey, stressed that this nationwide effort is not being coordinated with anyone connected to the mayor.

"I don't want to give the impression that this is an entity simply being set up for Bloomberg," MacKay said. "But I would be lying if I said that Mike Bloomberg isn't extraordinarily popular among all our delegates. If he changes his mind, there will be a lot of people waiting with open arms."

Bloomberg isn't the first rich businessman MacKay has wooed. He also launched an unsuccessful effort to draft real estate mogul and TV personality Donald Trump into the 2008 race.

Despite signs to the contrary, Bloomberg continues to insist he's not eying an '08 run.

"The mayor is speaking out to advance New York's agenda, but he is not running for President," a Bloomberg spokesman said.

The wealthy mayor seems tailor-made for the Independence Party of America, which MacKay described as nontraditional.

Eager to avoid the obvious Ralph Nader and Reform Party references, MacKay insisted he and his supporters are seeking a winner, not a spoiler.

"Bloomberg may never run, but somebody will," vowed MacKay. "Our goal is to get somebody who will take a serious run at this - somebody who could win and obviously somebody with the financial means to do so."