Councilman Peter Vallone, Jr. of the 22nd district and his father, former speaker of the City Council Peter Vallone, Sr., endorsed Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Saturday in Astoria.

Standing with the mayor across the street from their law offices, it wasn’t the first time the father and son team crossed party lines to endorse him, having done so in 2005 as well.

“We’re independent Democrats,” said Peter Vallone, Jr. “We endorse who we believe is the best for city and for our constituents.”

Vallone, Sr. echoed those words. “It’s about public safety, having a safe city, and safe streets.” He also cited the mayor’s victory in wrestling control of the schools from the state as pivotal.

“People are missing something very important,“ he said. “We had three good mayors, who tried very hard to get the board of education from the dysfunctional state. It’s a remarkable deed for this mayor to have done so.”

Walking away he stopped and added, “And if he’s not mayor, they will take away control again.”

Vallone, Jr. trumpeted the administration‘s success with crime. “The mayor and Ray Kelly have proven that they can reduce crime,” he said. “They did it the first time we endorsed them and they will do it again.”

“The Vallone’s are about doing the right thing, not playing partisan politics,” Bloomberg said. “They know partisan politics isn’t going to make things work, it's going to take leadership.”

The mayor also chimed in on anti-incumbent sentiment. Seeking a third term has proven very unpopular among some voters, but Bloomberg is confident.

“Every year, every election, there’s always an anti-incumbency thing, and they still get reelected,” he said.