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New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg this afternoon annonuced a major $10 million independent spending campaign in an effort to elect moderates and independents who support his views on gun control and education.

Howard Wolfson, a top Bloomberg deputy and former adviser to Hillary Clinton, is overseeing the effort. Wolfson will be departing his job at City Hall as a deputy mayor to oversee it.

The effort comes as Bloomberg is backing Massachusetts Sen, Scott Brown, a Republican, and Democrat Claire McCaskill in Missouri. He’s also a major benefactor to Maine independent Senate candidate Angus King.

Bloomberg, who had contributed to the effort here in New York state to legalize same-sex marraige, is also bankrolling the marriage campaign in Maryland.

For New York, Bloomberg has already contributing $1 million to the state Senate Republicans’ housekeeping account.

“It’s critically important that we have elected officials in Washington, Albany, and around the nation who are willing to work across party lines to achieve real results,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “I’ve always believed in the need for more independent leadership, and this new effort will support candidates and causes that will help protect Americans from the scourge of gun violence, improve our schools, and advance our freedoms.”

The whole effort appears to be the centrist No Labels campaign on super PAC steroids, while also the start of Bloomberg laying the groundwork for his post-mayoral life as a man with a lot of money who very much wants to remain a force in the national discussion.

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