The Empire Strikes BackNEW YORK - What is happening to the Republican Party in New York state is the national GOP's nightmare. The once thriving political organization of Nelson Rockefeller, Al D'Amato and George Pataki is in shambles. And the way the Republican coalition has broken up should have national Republicans scurrying for a new game plan. For many Americans, "New York'' evokes the liberal salons of Manhattan. But Manhattan is a small piece of the Empire State. Political change has been driven by the populous suburbs of Long Island and Westchester and Rockland Counties, and in the vast stretches...