Those who have been hedging their bets about Mayor Bloomberg’s plans to run for president may want to take this opportunity to place a wager.

The mayor yesterday launched a new version of his personal Web site, mikebloomberg.com, which is strikingly similar to the sites of the 2008 presidential candidates.

“The only thing missing is a sign up sheet!” the campaign manager of Vice President Gore’s 2000 presidential bid, Donna Brazile, said via e-mail after looking at Mr. Bloomberg’s new site.

The red, white, and blue site is not only polished with user-friendly tabs, but links to speeches and testimony the mayor has given as far back as 2002 and newspaper endorsements from 2001.

It even links to news stories that refer to Mr. Bloomberg as a White House candidate, which he has repeatedly said he has no plans of being.

The site, created by the Manhattan-based Symposia Group, uses the same Web address the mayor has used in two mayoral campaigns. The space has been inactive for some time, featuring only a photo of Mr. Bloomberg as a placeholder.

Absent an official campaign announcement, the site’s revival could be considered puzzling, given that Mr. Bloomberg’s daily news conferences and statements are all posted on the city’s official home page.

The new site includes a timeline and biography of the mayor’s life that plays up his triumphs in New York City and his middle-class roots.
“Raised by middle class parents in Medford, Massachusetts, Michael Bloomberg was taught at an early age the values of hard work and civic responsibility,” the first line of the biography states. It goes on to note that Mr. Bloomberg paid his college tuition by taking out loans and working as a parking lot attendant during the summer.

Running as an independent candidate would be a major obstacle for Mr. Bloomberg, a self-made multibillionaire who has financed all of his campaigns, but at least one of his past advisers said he his likely to do it if the Democrat and Republican candidates are “extreme.” His wealth means that he can’t be ignored.

If his site is an indication, he has no plans to disappear from the public stage. The Web site includes flattering photos of the mayor and overviews of where he stands and what he’s done on the issues.

On education, it says: “Mike Bloomberg believes that a good education is the key to unlocking the American Dream for all of our children — and that’s why he made fixing the New York City’s long-broken public schools one of his top priorities as Mayor.”

On public health: “As Mayor of New York, his groundbreaking initiatives to reduce smoking addiction, tackle obesity, and encourage preventive medical care have been praised and, in many cases, replicated in cities, states, and countries around the globe.”

While Mr. Bloomberg has carved out a spot on the national stage on issues such as gun control, stem cell research, and immigration, this Web site is his first unfiltered attempt to introduce himself to an audience outside New York City.

A professor of history at Cooper Union, Fred Siegel, said the site is clearly a candidate’s site. He said the only question is which office Mr. Bloomberg will run for: president in 2008 or governor in 2010.

Earlier this week, the New York Post reported that Mr. Bloomberg has had several conversations with Republicans about challenging Governor Spitzer in 2010. Mr. Bloomberg flatly denied that idea.

Mr. Bloomberg did not take public questions from reporters yesterday, but issued a statement: “This new website is the single place where people can go to find out what I’ve done not only in government, but in business and philanthropy as well.”

The question remains: Can he credibly deny that he is considering a run for higher office? “Of course he can,” Mr. Siegel said. “He won’t be telling the truth, but he can. This is not about telling the truth, this is about positioning yourself without committing yourself so that you don’t get embarrassed.”

The mayor’s spokesman reiterated yesterday that Mr. Bloomberg is not running for president.