Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who decided against a White House run, said Thursday his endorsement will go to the most straight-talking candidate and predicted "at least we'll have an adult in office who can lead and can accomplish something."

Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent, later ducked a question about whether he was taking a shot at President Bush.

"He's not a candidate for office. There's a constitutional provision that prevents him from running for a third term, and last I checked, he wasn't trying to change it, nor was anybody advocating that it gets changed, as far as I know," Bloomberg said.

The billionaire mayor made the comment during a question-and-answer session with a political pal, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, at an annual luncheon he hosts to discuss his political agenda.

In making a decision about whom to endorse, Bloomberg said he is not trying to decide which one of the three matches up with him ideologically, but he added that he wants to know which one is "willing to face reality and say, 'We can't have everything, and there are costs and we've got to make choices.'"

"Some of the things they'll be in favor of, I'll agree with. Some of the things they'll be in favor of, I won't. But at least we'll have an adult in office who can lead and accomplish something," he said.

Schwarzenegger has already endorsed fellow Republican John McCain.

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