That's because all across Washington yesterday, Republican officials, consultants and candidates themselves were becoming increasingly convinced that:
A) Bloomberg may indeed jump into the 2008 race, and
B) If he does, the mayor is going to pull far more votes from the eventual Democratic nominee than the GOP standard-bearer.
Republican sources confidently dismissed earlier polls finding Bloomberg stealing votes roughly equally from each party nominee, or even taking more from the Republicans.
Today, they believe that what they call Bloomberg's extreme liberalism on social issues - outspokenly pro-gay marriage, proudly in favor of abortion, refusing to take a back seat to anyone when it comes to tougher gun control, an advocate for legalizing every illegal - can't help but cut into the Democrats' base, perhaps deeply.
One Democrat on Capitol Hill described Bloomberg's possible independent candidacy as a "nightmare" for the party - just at a time when Democrats believed everything was breaking their way."
Duh. Another liberal enters the race. A RICH liberal. But of course it's going to dilute the liberal vote. Bloomberg is far more of a nightmare for Rodham than Fred Thompson is for Julie Annie. Fred has to go begging. Bloomy just writes checks.
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