Speaking out on national issues that impact the city is part of his job, Mayor Bloomberg argued yesterday as he announced plans to continue making speeches on big-picture issues that are certain to further fuel speculation about his White House ambitions.

“The things I plan to talk about are the things that are important to us to get the services in New York City that the public needs,” the mayor said.

But he insisted again that he isn’t positioning himself for a presidential run.

University of Virginia political analyst Larry Sabato said the mayor’s strategy represented a “classic example” of someone trying to influence the national debate.

“You maximize your influence until you make that final announcement [on whether you’re going to run],” he said. “He can’t lose.”