Behind every billionaire there is a story!

Bloomberg Meets With Ballot Expert

 While still insisting he is not running for president, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg signaled his seriousness about a possible independent campaign by meeting with the ballot access expert and campaign manager for H. Ross Perot’s third-party presidential bid.Bloomberg’s latest trip outside New York — one of a growing number he has taken while building his national profile in recent months — was to continue Saturday in California where he planned to appear in Los Angeles with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bloomberg met privately Friday with Clay Mulford, who is well-versed in third-party ballot access and served as campaign manager for Perot, according to an individual close to the mayor. The Texas businessman sought the presidency in 1992 and 1996.

The meeting with Mulford came less than two months before Bloomberg would be able to start gathering signatures to get on the ballot and meet Texas’ early deadline.

If Bloomberg wants a chance at winning the state’s large slice of electoral votes — 34 — he would need to collect about 74,100 signatures by May 12, and he could not begin circulating petitions in Texas until March 5. Not only does he have a short window to petition — the signatures need to be from Texas residents who did not vote in a party primary.

read the rest published by NY Times here:

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/us/AP-Bloomberg-2008.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=bloomberg+&oref=slogin