European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 21, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                              June 2007 stars and stripes Mideast edition Page 11 Bloombergh quitting gop seen As move in try for presidency by Sara Kugler the associated press new York after some six years As a new York City mayor Michael the 65yearold former announced tuesday that he has left the Republican party and be come unaffiliated in what Many believe could be a step toward entering the 2008 race for presi Bloomberg has fuelled those notions with increasing out state greater focus on National issues and repeated criticism of partisan All the while vowing to leave Public office at the end of his term in although my plans for the future Haven i believe this brings my affiliation into alignment with How i have led and will continue to Lead our Bloomberg said in the state ment he issued notwithstanding Bloombergh the mayors announce ment Only increases speculation he will pursue the White challenging the democratic and Republican nominees with a Well financed third party who founded the Bloomberg up financial news ser has an estimated Worth of More than billion and easily could underwrite a White House much like Texas business Man Ross Perot did in Bloomberg spent More than million for his two mayoral Cam including million when he won his second term in a Bloomberg entry into the presidential contest could inject additional turmoil into an already wide open but there is no Clear consensus on How a Bloomberg candidacy would affect the some believe Bloombergh mod Erate positions would Siphon votes from the democratic Nomi others say he could just As easily spoil it for the throughout his five years As Bloomberg often has been at Odds with his party and he supports Gay Abor Tion gun control and Stem cell research and hiked property Reed new York mayor Michael Bloomberg was in los Angeles for a conference Early later that Bloomberg announced he was leaving the Republican party and switching to taxes to help solve a fiscal crisis after the 11 asked on monday about a hypothetical Independent candidate entering the Bloomberg launched a Broad critique of the Bush administration and con Gress and lamented the presiden tial debates to i think the country is in Trou Bloomberg citing the War in Iraq and the nations de Clining standing new Orleans bids for presidential debates the associated press new Orleans no City in the United states could offer a More poignant More sophisticated event management or a More technically efficient facility for a presidential debate than this a member of the com Mission on presidential debates was told tuesday there is no better place for the nation to focus on itself than with new Orleans As a Mitch Landrieu said be fore a member of the Cpd and secret service officials toured the Ernest mortal convention the cites struggle following Hurricane katrina would not Only tug at the country heart it would provide fodder for a debate other cities could not said Rod president of the new Orleans business the Broad Community support for the debate was said Tammy a supervising producer for the Sites for the four debates and two alternate Sites will be selected in the Johnston said nurses to testify about katrina deaths in Hospital new Orleans two nurses accused of taking part in killing patients at a Hospital after Hurricane katrina will testify before a grand indicating prosecutors could be focusing on a doctor also accused in the a source close to the investigation said nurses Lori Budo and Chen Landry and Anna Pou were arrested last summer but have not been charged in connection with the deaths of four patients at memorial medical Center after katrina struck on Budo and Landry were arrested last but have not been formally charged and Are free on the four patients were among 34 who died at memorial Hospital after katrina but the Only ones that Louisiana attorney general Charles Fotis office found to be Foti said the women put desperately ill patients to death using a lethal injection of after determining the patients were either too ill or too incapacitated to be Pou has said she was trying to ease the patients not kill from the associated press two Complete Eye Shields time spent changing lenses is time away from the Mission at hand with Che Ess ice2x you will never change a Lens again