Bloomberg, Scarborough 'Eying 2012 Run'

New York City's mayor and the host of MSNBC's Morning Joe are exploring the possibility of an "odd couple" run for the White House on an independent ticket, according to the Huffington Post, which cites "well-placed sources." Joe Scarborough, a longtime friend of Michael Bloomberg's, denies that direct talks about a potential run have taken place. But "have people discussed it in his sphere and in my sphere?" he said. "I think so."

Insiders say that Bloomberg is closely monitoring the possibility of a 2012 run, although he publicly denies not only that he's planning to be a candidate, but that it's even possible for an independent to win. "Party affiliation is so strong with enough people that the Republicans and Democrats—no matter who their candidates were, no matter who voted—would get enough votes that you could get every independent vote, it would still not be a majority," he said at a conference in Washington yesterday. (More Michael Bloomberg stories.)