Mayor Michael Bloomberg encouraged Secretary of State Hillary Clinton-- widely held to be a frontrunner in the 2016 presidential race-- to instead enter the 2013 mayor's race in New York City.
From The New York Times:
In a telephone call confirmed by three people, Mr. Bloomberg encouraged Mrs. Clinton to consider entering the 2013 mayor’s race, trading international diplomacy for municipal management on the grandest scale.
She would, the mayor suggested, be a perfect fit.
Neither Bloomberg or Clinton have commented on the call, and the specifics of the conversation remain vague. The Times' sources, however, say Clinton stated clearly that she wasn't interested in the job.
News of the call comes as a surprise. Bloomberg, who's expressed admiration for Clinton before, had all but publicly endorsed New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to succeed him as mayor, a position he's held since 2002.
In an August poll, Quinn held a commanding lead over other likely Democratic candidates.
She's been a close ally of Bloomberg's during her time in the council, and was an integral part of orchestrating his successful bid to change the city's term-limit laws, enabling Bloomberg to win a third term.
The billionaire mayor hasn't ruled out the possibility of using his newly formed Super PAC to influence the 2013 mayor's race.
His term as hizzoner ends on December 31, 2013, and there's much speculation about what he'll do for his next act.