Win or lose, Bloomberg office staying open till November 

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 18 — Mike Bloomberg opened his ninth Michigan campaign office today across Lake Lansing Road from Eastwood Towne Center in Lansing. 

And if the former New York City mayor doesn't happen to win the Democratic presidential primary, the office is going to stay open until at least the Nov. 3 election day, helping whomever the Democratic nominee is defeat President Donald Trump. 

According to Bloomberg's Michigan state director, Mike Kurtz, Bloomberg is building an infrastructure in key battleground states like Michigan to give Democrats a foothold going into the General Election. 

Kurtz and the nearly 100 field staff Bloomberg has hired in Michigan are "going to be working our tails off" to make sure that nominee is their guy. But if it's not, the field office next door to the new Starbucks is staying open. So will all 10 offices Bloomberg plans to open in the Great Lakes States in the runup to Michigan's March 10 presidential primary. 

"Mike has been talking about building the infrastructure necessary and funding that infrastructure through the November election so that we get rid of Donald Trump," Kurtz said. "We need to be organizing in these states earlier than what the Democratic primary campaign allows these campaigns to do." 

Bloomberg isn't campaigning in Nevada or South Carolina, just like he didn't campaign in New Hampshire or Iowa. He's focusing on Super Tuesday states and battleground states like Michigan, which explains the nearly $9 million in TV ads he's already put on Michigan TV. 

The buzz he's creating is having an effect. Senior adviser Jamaine Dickens said he was at an event in his hometown of Detroit a few days ago and heard a couple of voters — unprompted —  express their support for Bloomberg. 

He said he's running into it everywhere. From what he's hearing, Bloomberg has "street cred" for cutting in half the crime rate of the United States' largest city and making the city, in general, a better place. 

Dickens estimates that out of 100 people he talks to, 15 mention the "stop and frisk" policy of the New York Police Department during Bloomberg's tenure. Of that 15, 10 simply mention it to learn more about the issue. For the other five, he concedes, it's a deal-breaker. 

They feel the policy unfairly targeted young men of color and they can't support Bloomberg. The fact Bloomberg apologizes over the policy isn't going to convert him.  

"Look, you're going to have some blemishes as mayor. You know why? Because you're at the ground level," said former Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, a Bloomberg supporter. "Maybe he's made mistakes, but he's owned it. The important thing is that Mike Bloomberg doesn't run from this. That doesn't erase what he's done. He's run the biggest city in America and it's better off because of it." 

Bernero, 2014 Democratic gubernatorial nominee Mark Schauer and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Rochester Hills, are among those supporting Bloomberg, who —by a long shot — has the largest paid ground force in Michigan at this time. 

People like attorney David Mittleman are sold that Bloomberg is the best person the Democrats can pick to defeat Trump. 

"He seems to be the only candidate that can go toe-to-toe with Trump. He has the stature and the ability to take on a bully. You have to bully the bully, if necessary," Mittleman said. "Punch him the nose. Bully him back.  

"We need to win because I don't even want to think about what our country will look like if we have four more years of who is currently our president." 

Sanders Hires Staff; Opens Five Offices 

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders announced today he's hired 10 field organizers and directors in Michigan on top of five new offices he'll be opening this week. 

The offices will be in Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor, Dearborn, Flint and Detroit. Michael Fasullo will serve as state coordinator and Alia Phillips as state field director. Hired to be regional field directors are Bria Lott, Ben Mora, Brad Chester and Spencer Reed. Four field organizers were also hired. 

"With the operation we're building in Michigan, Bernie Sanders will not only win the primary, but he will also be the only candidate with the energy and enthusiasm to flip this state back and defeat Donald Trump" Fasullo said.