Ebrard: Me in 2012!

Marcelo Ebrard repeats for the second time in as many months his desire to stand for the presidency in 2012, this time in an interview with US-based Univisión. I like the fact that he's not being implausibly coy. Everyone knows he wants it, so why not come out with it? It'll be interesting to see how this piece of news affects the distribution of power in the PRD, as well as Ebrard's relationship with Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Another thing: Ebrard will be the third consecutive properly elected mayor of Mexico City to resign in order to run for president (Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas and López Obrador are the others). There have only been three properly elected mayors of Mexico City (it was appointed by the president until 1997). That seems like a bit of an annoyance; Mexico City residents should at least have some hope of seeing the politician they vote into office stay there for the full six years. I don't think any of the three men is to blame, but since the mayoralty of Mexico City is the second most prominent post in the nation, it might make sense to change either the law that requires politicians seeking the presidency to resign from office for the campaign, or the duration of the mayor's term in office, so that it isn't the same as the president's.