Mayor Michael Bloomberg says he's not running for president, but darned if he doesn't love an opportunity to imply that he could do better than his opponents the candidates and the administration. Yesterday in Washington, D.C., where he was accepting an award from the U.S. Conference of Mayors, Bloomberg went off on the recent push for an economic-stimulus package. The $145 billion proposal currently being circulated centers around the idea of tax rebates to individuals and families. Bloomberg, however, thinks this is a quick fix, one that doesn’t address the larger issue of the enormous debt the government has already run up. "They ate the seed corn without worrying about the next year's crop," he said. "Well, here we are, the seed corn is gone.… It's time to start getting our house in order once and for all." The billionaire continued on, invoking the wisdom of another down-home politician. "John F. Kennedy told us, 'The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining,'" he said. Later, he added that Bush "couldn't hit the broadside of a barn" and concluded by telling the crowd not to forget that "a penny saved is a penny earned" and "a bird in the hand is worth two in a bush."

Bloomberg Dismisses Stimulus Package [AP]