Posted on 11/30/2005 11:39:17 AM PST by nycfree
November 30, 2005 -- Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum. Thus did Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno yesterday step forward to fill the leadership void at the New York Republican State Committee — saying out loud what party leaders have been whispering for months. That is, Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro has no chance of defeating Sen Hillary Clinton next fall — none whatsoever. So, says Bruno, Pirro should run for an office she can — possibly — win: attorney general. It's for the good of the party, he says. In truth, Bruno has neither custody of — nor responsibility for — the state Republican Party. That honor, such as it is, resides with GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik and his patron, lame-duck Gov. Pataki. Minarik and Pataki have already formally endorsed Pirro's senate candidacy. And they've scheduled a Dec. 12 meeting essentially to impose ex-Massachusetts Gov. William Weld on a strongly resistant party as its candidate for governor next year. On Monday, Bruno asked for the postponement of any Weld draft, a call echoed yesterday by Rep. John Sweeney (R-Clifton Park) — a once-close Pataki ally who has since parted ways. None of this should surprise. Bruno is stepping up to fill the vacuum at the highest levels of the state party. Pataki has already announced that this is his final term. (Though he is entertaining fanciful notions of running for the White House in 2008.) Minarik has no rank-and-file following. Thus the state GOP is leaderless, distracted and — under present circumstances — can't be expected to select competitive statewide candidates in 2006. Bruno sees that and realizes that something has to be done. No one should be naive here. Bruno's principle focus — not a dishonorable ambition — is retaining Republican control of the state Senate in the 2006 elections. That's an iffy proposition under the best of circumstances, and a task made even more difficult by the party's inability to field strong candidates at the top of the ticket. And so Bruno has drawn a line in the sand. He's now on record as saying that the Dec. 12 meeting should go forward — but without a forced vote selecting the 2006 statewide nominees. Instead, Bruno wants a broad meeting for the party to consider all its options and allow heretofore unidentified candidates to surface. Good. As for Pirro, she would do well to take Joe Bruno's advice. Indeed, The Post's Albany bureau chief, Fredric U. Dicker, said the same in these pages nearly four months ago: "If Pirro wants to stay in public life by winning an important elective office . . . she'll take the only course that makes political sense, the one that really fits her life's experience and personal resume: running — with a real chance of winning — for attorney general of New York." Exactly. As for Bruno, he may yet have given the state party an opportunity to pause — and then perhaps craft a brighter future of its own.
Sorry to hear this news. Pirro is a product of her upbringing, and the last thing NY State needs is her as Attorney General.
So far, she has been a real loser. This is good advice.
Also good on the state Republian leadership vacuum. This is a serious mess, because for decades the Dems have controlled the House in NYS and the Republicans have controlled the Senate. If the Dems win control of both houses, they will have no restraints at all on them in New York and will probably redistrict the next chance they get, to keep things that way.
Joe Bruno filling a leadership void is like using invisible ink to write out a decrypted message.
Why can't NY produce a real Republican?
I hate to tell you this... But I think it's because too many of the sane voters have fled the state. Your state has gone past the critical mass. Nothing left to do but run.
November 30, 2005 --
Politics, like nature, abhors a vacuum.
Thus did Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno yesterday step forward to fill the leadership void at the New York Republican State Committee — saying out loud what party leaders have been whispering for months. That is, Westchester County District Attorney Jeanine Pirro has no chance of defeating Sen Hillary Clinton next fall — none whatsoever.
So, says Bruno, Pirro should run for an office she can — possibly — win: attorney general. It's for the good of the party, he says.
In truth, Bruno has neither custody of — nor responsibility for — the state Republican Party.
That honor, such as it is, resides with GOP Chairman Stephen Minarik and his patron, lame-duck Gov. Pataki.
Minarik and Pataki have already formally endorsed Pirro's senate candidacy.
And they've scheduled a Dec. 12 meeting essentially to impose ex-Massachusetts Gov. William Weld on a strongly resistant party as its candidate for governor next year.
On Monday, Bruno asked for the postponement of any Weld draft, a call echoed yesterday by Rep. John Sweeney (R-Clifton Park) — a once-close Pataki ally who has since parted ways.
None of this should surprise.
Bruno is stepping up to fill the vacuum at the highest levels of the state party.
Pataki has already announced that this is his final term. (Though he is entertaining fanciful notions of running for the White House in 2008.)
Minarik has no rank-and-file following.
Thus the state GOP is leaderless, distracted and — under present circumstances — can't be expected to select competitive statewide candidates in 2006.
Bruno sees that and realizes that something has to be done. No one should be naive here. Bruno's principle focus — not a dishonorable ambition — is retaining Republican control of the state Senate in the 2006 elections. That's an iffy proposition under the best of circumstances, and a task made even more difficult by the party's inability to field strong candidates at the top of the ticket.
And so Bruno has drawn a line in the sand. He's now on record as saying that the Dec. 12 meeting should go forward — but without a forced vote selecting the 2006 statewide nominees. Instead, Bruno wants a broad meeting for the party to consider all its options and allow heretofore unidentified candidates to surface. Good.
As for Pirro, she would do well to take Joe Bruno's advice.
Indeed, The Post's Albany bureau chief, Fredric U. Dicker, said the same in these pages nearly four months ago: "If Pirro wants to stay in public life by winning an important elective office . . . she'll take the only course that makes political sense, the one that really fits her life's experience and personal resume: running — with a real chance of winning — for attorney general of New York."
Exactly.
As for Bruno, he may yet have given the state party an opportunity to pause — and then perhaps craft a brighter future of its own.
Thanks Red Bob - my bad!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.