Romney, Bloomberg hold secret breakfast meeting

Mitt Romney is quietly courting New York mayors past and present while campaigning in Manhattan Tuesday.

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee had a private breakfast with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg Tuesday morning at the the headquarters of the billionaire mayor's philanthropic foundation. Romney's campaign did not inform the press that the meeting would occur, although later confirmed that the men had met.

Later Tuesday, Romney is set to hold a campaign event with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, according to multiple media reports. Giuliani endorsed Romney's campaign late last month, saying the former governor had "proven he's the most effective Republican."

According to two people with knowledge of the Bloomberg meeting, cited by the New York Times, the pair discussed the economy, immigration, education and gun control over coffee and juice.

Both campaigns are said to be heavily courting the mayor, whose independent streak and fortune have made him perhaps the most valuable up-for-grabs endorsement of the campaign. Last Monday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the 2008 GOP presidential nominee, traveled to Manhattan to lobby Bloomberg on Romney's behalf.

"I just came in to pay my respects to the mayor. He and I are old friends from many years back,” McCain said, according to the New York Post. “I told him that I just spent last weekend with Romney and I thought that Romney was on message ... and tried to convince the mayor that we’ve got a winning campaign.”

Late last week, Bloomberg played golf in Washington, D.C., with Vice President Biden and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, according to the Times. The mayor was also a guest at a White House luncheon with President Obama just weeks ago.

Bloomberg opted not to endorse in the 2008 election, although New York media sources have widely reported that he is considering weighing in this year. There have also been numerous reports that Bloomberg has been dissatisfied with the Obama administration, particularly objecting to the president's criticism of Wall Street executives.

The mayor was said to be considering his own presidential run earlier in the campaign cycle, but ultimately opted against what would be a difficult third-party bid for the White House.

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