NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg still looking for big name successor at City Hall

NEW YORK—Michael Bloomberg apparently still isn’t happy with the list of people looking to succeed him as mayor of New York City.

Last month, it emerged that Bloomberg had unsuccessfully tried to convince Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to replace him at City Hall when his third term expires later this year. But that didn’t discourage him from trying to woo other high-profile figures.

The New York Times reports Tuesday that Bloomberg and his aides have “floated the possibility of a mayoral run” to four other “boldface” names—including New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, media mogul Mort Zuckerman, former Bloomberg deputy mayor Edward Skyler and former Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, who previously was mayor of Philadelphia.

“The mayor believes he is special,” Rendell tells the Times. “He wanted somebody at a very high level to come in to do a job he has often said to me—and he’s not the only person who says it—is the second most difficult job in the country.”

Meanwhile, Zuckerman confirms that Bloomberg talked to him about the job—though he says the mayor’s approach had a “teasing” feel.

A spokesman for Bloomberg did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in an interview with MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Tuesday, Bloomberg dismissed the story as "erroneous"—though he did not specify what his objections to the story were.

The overtures are surely another slap in the face to Christine Quinn, a New York City Council speaker and longtime Bloomberg ally who is considering her own mayoral bid.