Former Republican Congressman Rick Lazio and currently Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo probably rarely have the opportunity to share a stage–so it must have been quite a strange site indeed to see the notoriously liberal Cuomo walk on stage immediately after conservative congressman Rick Lazio at the Conservative Party of New York’s annual conference in Albany. This was a strange place for Cuomo to make an appearance, but he was recieved fairly well–even getting an ovation.
before the state Conservative Party’s annual conference here were laced with talk of fiscal Armageddon – with political apocalypse and dark humor coming close behind.
Rick Lazio, the former GOP congressman from Brightwaters, exploring a comeback run for governor, declared, “The public did a housecleaning on us” and called for new tactics. When Lazio ran for Senate in 2000, Republicans held the governor’s mansion, the state Senate and regional power bases that have all vanished. By way of reintroduction, he joked, “For those of you who had money on me, I don’t do refunds.” He later finessed a question on abortion and gun rights.
An unusual political moment comes today as Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo – son of the onetime Conservative target Gov. Mario Cuomo – describes proposals for more rational ways to abolish or consolidate local government entities.
But that the one thing that worries the Conservative Party chairman, Michael Long, more than anything else? The emerging power of another New York third party.
At times yesterday, the biggest alarms were sounded about the Working Families Party – seen as playing the kind of ideological tail-wagging-the-dog role in the state Democratic world that the Conservatives have played at times with the battered Republicans.
State Conservative chairman Michael Long warned the “ultra-liberal” WFP is “well financed” and “well engaged” and “on the march” with street operations – and needed to be offset from the right. He disputed those who consider the party “conservative” in Suffolk and upstate.
Election lawyer John Ciampoli cited the WFP party’s ties to the group ACORN, Sen. Craig Johnson (D-Port Washington) paying the party as consultants in 2007, and said that in Suffolk, ex-county leader Chuck Pohanka “wasn’t up to their radical standards and they chose to wipe him out.”
The Conservative Party’s Annual Conference had an influx of attendees during Lazio’s speech, probably because of rumors that Lazio is considering a gubernatorial run in 2010.
h/t to Richard Winger
8 responses so far ↓
1 Trent Hill // Feb 9, 2009 at 7:43 pm
I thought this story was particularly interesting. Poop on you guys. =P
2 paulie cannoli // Feb 9, 2009 at 8:07 pm
Dick Lazio, I’d expect.
Andrew Cuomo?
3 Catholic Trotskyist // Feb 9, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Can you switch the references to “Dick Lazio”, his name is Rick Lazio.
I was impressed with Lazio during his 20000 run against Hillary Clinton. I actually would have voted for him, though I almost never support Republicans.
Very interesting about Cuomo. I hope he will speak to the WFP too. The Conservatives should be afraid of the WFP, especially because of its sympathy with Catholic Trotskyism.
4 Trent Hill // Feb 9, 2009 at 9:08 pm
The WFP is quite a force–but ultimately they are not a threat because they are shackled to the Democrats in a way that the Independence Party and Conservative Party arent. While the Conservative Party and Independence Party have large incomes seperate from the Republican or Democratic parties–the Working Families Party gets 9/10ths of its income from Democrats. The only reason they would stay afloat if they chose to step on Democratic toes is because of Local 1199/SEIU–they make up a large part of the leadership and their membership contribute about 1/14th of the WFP’s warchest..
5 paulie cannoli // Feb 9, 2009 at 9:11 pm
“Dick Lazio”, his name is Rick Lazio.
LOL, I should have remembered that, I was thinking of a slumlord/construction scam boss in NY when I was growing up with a very similar name. Fat Dicky Lotso, although I’m not sure if that’s how he spelled his last name.
How’s about his name should be Lazy Dick?
6 Steven R Linnabary // Feb 9, 2009 at 10:55 pm
An unusual political moment comes today as Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo – son of the onetime Conservative target Gov. Mario Cuomo – describes proposals for more rational ways to abolish or consolidate local government entities.
I might not be understanding this proposal. But it sounds like the discredited idea of the late sixties and early seventies to create “metro” governments.
“Metro” governments were undertaken in Nashville, Jacksonville and Indianapolis. Entire county governments (and local village and suburban councils) were abolished in favor of big unwieldy “metro” governments.
I’m surprised that any “conservative” party would entertain such an idea. I take it that there is no JBS contingent in this “conservative” party?
PEACE
7 Trent Hill // Feb 9, 2009 at 11:02 pm
Steven,
Iv spoken with two people who were there, who claim that the Conservative Party is “anything but”. Not terribly socially conservative, not terribly free-market oriented, and not terribly concentrated on small government. One guy, a friend named Ryan, spent the entire time trying to convince “conservative party” members that the welfare state had to be dissassembled and public schools needed to be privatized.
8 Tom Cilmi // Feb 16, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Rick inspired me to get involved in 1992. He is a leader. While in office he was an asset to our Country and the pride of his community. Should he decide to pursue the statehouse in New York, he will no doubt inspire many more young leaders. Those who would cast stones at the sacrifices he made and those he will make in the future should ask themselves how many future leaders they have inspired.
Leave a Comment