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Bloomberg for president? Nolabels.org could be just the vehicle.

New York's mayor is says he is not 鈥� 'no way, no how' 鈥� running for president. But his role in the nonpartisan political movement Nolabels.org raises speculation.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg insists he鈥檚 not going to run for president in 2012.

鈥淣o way, no how,鈥� he said Sunday, when pushed by 鈥�Meet the Press鈥� host David Gregory.

But Monday鈥檚 launch of a new movement called Nolabels.org 鈥� an effort to get beyond the hyperpartisanship that infuses Washington 鈥� can鈥檛 help but keep the 鈥渨ill Bloomberg run鈥� question alive. The day-long rollout was held in New York City, and Mayor Bloomberg, a political independent, was a marquee participant. And Nolabels鈥� centrist approach to policy fits his own message, laid out just last week in a campaign-style speech on the economy. The billionaire Bloomberg鈥檚 willingness to self-fund as a politician has been amply demonstrated in his three successful runs for New York mayor, and he reportedly considered running for president in 2008.

Some media coverage has suggested that Nolabels could become a ready-made vehicle for a Bloomberg candidacy, should he decide to run. But people associated with the group insist there鈥檚 no hidden Bloomberg agenda in the group鈥檚 founding.

鈥淭his is not a Bloomberg organization; it was not conceived as such, and is not,鈥� says a Nolabels spokesman, speaking on background.

The group has raised $1 million in seed money from 鈥渉undreds and hundreds of donors across the country,鈥� he says, but 鈥渘ot a penny鈥� from Bloomberg.

Still, none of that rules out the possibility that Bloomberg could change his mind at some point about running or that Nolabels could provide the organizational structure Bloomberg would need to mount a campaign in all 50 states. Nolabels plans to set up chapters in all 435 congressional districts and on college campuses across the country. Depending on how President Obama fares over the next year, and who the Republican Party looks set to nominate for the 2012 presidential race, Bloomberg could jump in.

鈥淏loomberg isn鈥檛 running, unless there鈥檚 a popular call that he can鈥檛 ignore,鈥� says Cal Jillson, a political scientist at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. 鈥淗e does not generally forcelose options.鈥�

In the past, Bloomberg has reportedly made clear he is not interested in running just to be a spoiler. He would run if he saw a path to victory. That didn鈥檛 materialize in 2008. In 2012, if Mr. Obama is still weakened by the economy, and it looks as if the Republicans might put up a polarizing figure like former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, Bloomberg might see his opening.

鈥淏loomberg is a very sophisticated guy, who does not throw money out windows,鈥� says Jillson. 鈥淪o if it didn鈥檛 look like there was room to run a draw play up the middle successfully, he wouldn鈥檛 spend the money. He鈥檇 have to spend half a billion [dollars]. Even for Bloomberg, that鈥檚 real money.鈥�

In the modern era, some third-party presidential candidacies have made a big splash, but only ended up hurting the candidate of the incumbent party. Eccentric self-funder Ross Perot won 19 percent of the vote in 1992, helping to deprive President George H.W. Bush of a second term and electing Bill Clinton.

In contrast with Mr. Perot, Bloomberg would start with considerable experience in elective office, albeit as mayor of New York 鈥� not a typical stepping stone to the White House. But Bloomberg would bring financial savvy and more than 10 years of executive government experience to the table.

Bloomberg鈥檚 economic speech last week seemed ready made for the Nolabels movement. He complained about how both parties in Washington, and both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue, have put partisan advantage over solutions, and suggested that his successes in New York City could be adapted nationally.

鈥淟ast month, voters turned against Democrats in Washington for the same reason they turned against Republicans in 2006,鈥� Bloomberg said. 鈥�Democrats now, and Republicans then, spent more time and energy conducting partisan warfare than forging centrist solutions to our toughest economic problems.鈥�