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cindy25
09-23-2010, 04:41 AM
ALBANY -- Hours after a new poll showed Carl Paladino’s gubernatorial bid surging, Republican Rick Lazio this morning signaled he is not suspending his bid on the small, but influential Conservative Party line -- a blow to Paladino’s campaign.

Lazio, who was trounced by Paladino in last week’s Republican Party primary, did win the Conservative Party primary, posing a problem for Paladino and his outreach to right-of-center voters who vote on that row.

"I have every expectation that my voice is going to be heard," Lazio said at a forum hosted by the Associated Press at a hotel outside Albany.

During a question and answer session, though, Lazio raised the possibility of not continuing his campaign. “You’ll get an announcement over the next few days,’’ he said when asked if he was going to remain an active candidate on the Conservative line

Lazio said he is “very proud’’ of his conservative party primary showing. “I am going to be a voice involved and engaged in this debate,’’ Lazio said, not answering if that would include staying in the campaign.

Lazio has until next week to formally decide whether he is going to remain a candidate on the conservative line.

Paladino, popular among tea party and conservative-leaning New Yorkers, had been pressing Lazio to drop out of the race so that his Republican vote is not diluted in November. He has accused Lazio of being a stalking horse for Democrat Andrew Cuomo if he stayed in the race.

But Lazio is under enormous pressure from some Conservative Party leaders to remain in the race in hopes he can get the needed 50,000 votes in November for the party to remain automatically on the statewide ballot in coming elections.

Lazio lashed out at both Paladino and Cuomo for ignoring important issues since last week’s primary elections and for focusing on negative and personal attacks. “I believe the behavior of both Mr. Cuomo, the attorney general, and Mr. Paladino since the Republican and Conservative primary has concluded has left a lot to be desired,’’ Lazio said, calling the campaigns by Cuomo and Paladino “destructive to the political process.’’

“Not one New Yorker is going to have a better life because of this,’’ he said of the attacks by the two major party candidates.

Lazio offered himself up as an alternative to Cuomo and Paladino, and focused his speech on the ailing state economy. “Anger itself is not a platform. Anger may be a motivation but it’s not a solution, whether it’s on the right or the left,’’ Lazio said.

Lazio slammed Paladino for running an “issueless’’ campaign and said Cuomo is a part of the problems in Albany.

Lazio, a former Long Island congressman, said he did well in the primary against Paladino in downstate counties -- which he said will deliver two-thirds of the general election vote in November

Cowlesy
09-23-2010, 05:26 AM
Lazio's hubris will keep him in the race.

cindy25
09-23-2010, 05:40 AM
Lazio's neo-con backers are keeping him in the race

Cowlesy
09-23-2010, 05:43 AM
Lazio's neo-con backers are keeping him in the race

The one good thing that came out of this whole debacle is that I learned not to support the "Conservative Party" of NY. Rick Lazio as your candidate? Are you kidding me? LOL

HOLLYWOOD
09-23-2010, 05:59 AM
Lazio must have Cut A Deal with Gillebrand's party and maybe some money master? Insiders communicate beyond party lines, all to protect their cozy little empires.

Be interesting to see after the election if there's some tie between the Dems/Money-Job/Lazio and where he lands.

libertarian4321
09-23-2010, 01:48 PM
This is not the first time NY State has had different candidates on the Republican and Conservative Party ballots, so I don't see why Lazio should quit.

NY also has a Liberal Party that sometimes nominates candidates different than the Dem Party, though I'm not sure they have ballot status this year.

I'm not a fan of Lazio, but I'm sure as hell not going to be a hypocrite and call for Lazio to quit so that the "lesser evil" (Republican) candidate can win.

Lazio and Redlich (the Libertarian candidate) have every right to run, and the voters should have the right to choose them over the Republican candidate if they choose.