NYC’s Bloomberg leaves GOP – Good Riddance! Updated

So, NYC’s Mayor Michael Bloomberg has decided to leave the GOP and become a… well, he’s “unaffiliated.”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday switched his party status from Republican to unaffiliated, a stunning move certain to be seen as a prelude to an independent presidential bid that would upend the 2008 race.The billionaire former CEO, who was a lifelong Democrat before he switched to the GOP for his first mayoral run, said the change in voter registration does not mean he is running for president.

“Although my plans for the future haven’t changed, I believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with how I have led and will continue to lead our city,” he said in a statement.

He’s an open-borders apologist who claims that America’s economy will collapse without illegals flooding our job market. He’s working his butt off to do an end run around the 2nd Amendment and the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act by suing gun dealers he illegally “investigated” well outside of his jurisdiction. Does that sound even remotely like a Republican?

As for leadership, I’ll point once again to the little vigilante squad he sent out of state to perform illegal straw purchases. What, there’s not enough investigatory work in New York City? And if this was a legitimate investigation, why did he send contracted private eyes? Why didn’t he said NYPD detectives? What did he not do in NYC while he was so engaged out of state?

I’ll also remind everyone of his response when sections of Queens went a week or more without power – during July of last year – when the power company his government is supposed to be watching kept thousands of New Yorkers in the dark (literally and figuratively). Bloomberg’s response when people asked, a week into the outage, for a reasonable estimate about how much longer they were going to be without power?

“It’ll be done when it’s done,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters gathered in Queens’ Astoria Park, where the city’s emergency command center for the blackout is set up.

Yeah, buddy! Now that’s leadership!

In spite of the media’s attempt to inflate this empty suit, Bloomberg’s chances of getting the GOP nomination for President, even spending a billion bucks in the effort, was about 1 in 10 to the gazillionth power (that’s 10^gazillion for you math weenies out there) and that’s best case. The GOP’s got a big tent, folks, or at least we try. As Hugh Hewitt has said on more that one occasion, that tent still has walls. Bloomberg’s actions have shown his true nature to be on the outside of those walls. So good luck, Mr. Mayor. And good riddance.

Update: Looks like I missed one of Bloomberg’s greatest hits. Capt. Ed Morrissey from Captain’s Quarters writes about the Mayor’s change of affiliation and recalls a previous post talking about Bloomberg’s endorsement of eminent domain after the Kelo decision. Thanks, Captain! I missed that one.