President Barack Obama asked New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg whether he is interested in becoming the new Treasury secretary when the two played golf recently on Martha’s Vineyard, according to chatter reported in the New York Post.
Bloomberg would replace “prime blame-target” Timothy Geithner, the Post’s Page Six column stated on Wednesday.
“Obama needs Bloomberg more than Bloomberg needs Obama” a source told the Post. “Obama’s looking to do something bold and credible before the election.”
One Democratic insider told Page Six: “It’s been the focus of a lot of discussion. [Bloomberg is] very well-liked and well-respected on Wall Street.”
Bloomberg reportedly was considered for the post in 2008.
Obama invited the multibillionaire to golf with him Friday, along with White House trip director Marvin Nicholson and Washington power broker Vernon Jordan.
Another reason Obama might be interested in Bloomberg for Treasury: The mayor has been speaking on national issues and “behaving like a possible independent presidential candidate for 2012,” the Post notes, and a Bloomberg run “would absolutely devastate Obama in states like Florida and New York.”
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