NEW YORK — Leaders of the state Conservative Party on Saturday gave their critical backing to Republican Rick Lazio for governor. The overwhelming support of leaders at a meeting of the party in Brooklyn boosts Lazio’s campaign a day after two challengers arose to fight him for the Republican nomination. State Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long says Lazio won by a 5-to-1 margin, although conservative Democrat Steve Levy said he still will fight for the party’s line at its June convention. A spokesman for the other contender, Republican Carl Paladino, said the Conservative leaders chose “a weak candidate who’s a certain loser.” Lazio, a former congressman from Long Island, lost badly to Hillary Rodham Clinton in the 2000 Senate race. Long, however, noted Lazio is the best candidate to overhaul Albany. “He is a commonsense conservative with a long record of standing up for conservative principles,” Long said. “Rick is exactly the person we need in Albany to fight for the people of New York. He’s not just calling for change, he’s calling for fundamentally changing the very way Albany does business. “He will restore fiscal sanity, get New York back in the business of job creation, and drain the ethical swamp,” Long said. No Republican has won statewide in New York without the Conservative Party endorsement. Lazio faces challenges for the Republican line from Levy, the Suffolk County executive who is running as a Republican; and Paladino, who said he’ll commit $10 million of his own money to the campaign. Paladino, a Buffalo businessman, had rushed an appeal to Conservative leaders late in the week. “It’s a huge win for me,” Lazio told The Associated Press. “This is an essential, critical line for Republicans to win.” On social issues important to the Conservative Party, Lazio supports a woman’s right to choose abortion, but opposes late term abortions and government funding of abortions. He also opposes gay marriage, but supports civil unions for gay couples. “These are all important issues, but the most important issue for most New Yorkers is saving the state from bankruptcy, lowering our taxes and creating jobs,” Lazio said.
I don't know enough about this guy either, but it appears that he has more support than Levy, rep, aka dem.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
...well Suhrada had a lot more support than Mertz but that didn't stop you from supporting Mertz? LOL!!!!
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Lazio faces challenges after win Split vote picks GOP nominee for governor; losers mull future
By JIMMY VIELKIND, Capitol bureau First published in print: Thursday, June 3, 2010 NEW YORK -- Rick Lazio is the winner -- for today.
The former Long Island congressman's gubernatorial dreams cleared a major hurdle Wednesday when he became the official designee of the Republican Party. None of his rivals -- Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Carl Paladino or Myers Mermel -- won a place on the September primary ballot from delegates. But challenges remain for Lazio. His victory came after a bitter floor fight in which 43 percent of the delegates voted to force him into a primary against Levy. While Lazio and Republican Chairman Ed Cox spoke of the need to unify the GOP, some Republicans were grumbling about replacing Cox, and shouts exchanged during hours of debate and procedural back-and-forth were fresh in the minds of many.............>>>>...............>>>>..........Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=936966#ixzz0pmwTsbTR
"While Foreign Terrorists were plotting to murder and maim using homemade bombs in Boston, Democrap officials in Washington DC, Albany and here were busy watching ME and other law abiding American Citizens who are gun owners and taxpayers, in an effort to blame the nation's lack of security on US so that they could have a political scapegoat."
Last Update: 8:27 pm . ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) - Rick Lazio, the Republican candidate for governor in New York, says state leaders and his Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo, have gone Hollywood.
Lazio is blasting them for planning to give the entertainment industry it's latest big break: an increased tax credit. The perk for filming in New York would increase to $420 million a year from the current $350 million under a proposal in play at the Capitol.
It comes at a time when tax credits for more traditional businesses are being suspended or eliminated statewide.
Lazio blames Democrats led by Cuomo, the biggest beneficiary of campaign contributions from Hollywood. State records show he's been given more than $300,000 over the past decade, including $5,000 from Barbara Streisand, $7,500 from Steven Spielberg and almost $14,000 from Rob Reiner.
Lazio far behind in campaign cash race Republican gubernatorial candidate raises, holds much less than Cuomo
By JIMMY VIELKIND, Capitol bureau First published in print: Saturday, July 17, 2010
ALBANY -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio's campaign filings suggest that the candidate is treading water in his fundraising, and falling far behind Democrat Andrew Cuomo's massive war chest.
According to the disclosure that fell due on Thursday, Lazio raised $1.67 million in the last six months and spent $1.615 million over the same period; his cash on hand is $688,821. While that's an increase over the $637,000 Lazio had in the bank in January, it pales in comparison to the record $23.6 million Cuomo has on hand and the $9.27 million the Attorney General raised in the first half of this year................>>>>.............>>>>...........Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=951379#ixzz0tvyXUPgL
CAPITOL Lazio now making waves in lopsided campaign fight GOP hopeful at fundraising disadvantage BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press
What has gotten into Rick Lazio? The Republican designee and Conservative nominee for New York governor for a year has had trouble igniting his campaign in a big way even among Republicans. In recent months he’s lost ground in the polls to Republican Carl Paladino whose tea party supporters petitioned him into a Sept. 14 primary. And Lazio’s fundraising remains anemic — perhaps fatally so — compared to the far more popular Democratic candidate, Andrew Cuomo. But in August, when candidates usually huddle in back rooms dialing for campaign dollars and voters are more interested in sunning than in who’s running, Lazio has tried to go on a tear. In the last couple weeks Lazio: Gained the endorsement of influential conservative Republican John Faso, who had backed Lazio’s one-time rival Steve Levy, the Suffolk County executive who switched from the Democratic Party to run for governor with the support of the state GOP chairman. Was among the earliest opponents of building a mosque near ground zero, testifying in a New York City hearing. Instead of the heated rhetoric of Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin, he called for transparency in who and what groups would fund the project. Countered Cuomo’s polished TV ad over the Democrat’s plan to clean up Albany’s ethical behavior by showing Cuomo in a grainy, hand-held video attending a campaign fundraiser for Rep. Charles Rangel who faces serious ethics charges in the House. Drew some prominent attention in a statewide TV ad to run next week, this one funded by the state Conservative Party. It praises Lazio for “asking the right questions” about the mosque proposal that’s unpopular among a slight majority of New York voters. “We agree with what he’s been doing and speaking out,” said state Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long, by far the longest serving party leader in New York and a force among Republican voters. “This is evidence that Rick Lazio is going to have all the resources he needs to defeat Andrew Cuomo in November from a broad base of support,” said Lazio’s campaign manager, Matt Walter. .....................>>>>.........................>>>>................................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r02000&AppName=1