For a few seconds, it almost sounded as if Rick Lazio was about to throw a knockout punch with this answer to a question by a Daily Politics reporter.
“I wouldn’t find myself in the position that David Paterson has found himself in because I wouldn’t have signed last year’s budget. It increased spending by three times the rate of inflation ... "
I am going to be difficult and do some surgery on Rick Lazio's statement, that continued like the run-on sentence from hell.
"... But here he, we’re trying to avoid a shut down of government, trying to avoid default on payments. I think these cuts are, I’d have some reservations, but some of them for the most part on balance they need to be done. They’re appropriate and I think Andrew Cuomo needs to show some leadership. I mean, for the people of his own party need to show some support for David Paterson."
Lazio's problem is that he talks too much and distracts away from his initial sound bytes.
"... I think one of the problems right now we have is we’re just looking at the short term and closing gaps ..."
And then the Republican and Conservative nominee inexplicably steered away from discussing cuts in spending and tax relief.
He put forth a worthwhile "pro-growth agenda" but he didn't detail how New York can get there.
It's the same proble most Republicans running for statewide office will have this year in New York. It's the same problem Republicans have endured fiscally since the Reagan administration blinked in the early 1980's when they should have cut spending.
The late Jack Kemp would have known what to say. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has known what to say -- do so.
Cut to the chase, call firmly for cuts in spending, or perish.
Voters are craving pithy candidates with a hard edge, not any niceties or even civility in many instances.
Voters want candidates rude and rough and tumble enough to say what people don't want to hear.
This is why Carl Paladino is no longer a fluke.
This is also why the State Senate Republicans have an opportunity of a generation if they truly put the Democrats toes to the test.
"... It would be idiotic. A shutdown would disrupt millions of lives, cost millions of dollars and leave state officials scrambling to operate prisons, the State Police and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — never mind services like motor vehicle offices.
Republicans seem to think that acting so recklessly while Democrats control the government is great politics. They’re wrong. Voters would blame anyone who participates in a shutdown. Doing so would disqualify themselves from re-election, regardless of their party."
Republicans should only be so reckless.
Love him or hate him, George Pataki was a gentleman among rogues. Pataki should have been unkind, impatient, difficult and fiscally stubborn on conservative principles. Maybe his legacy would have turned out differently. Instead, Democrats enjoyed a free ride and a kind hand on their wayward spending for too long.
The three men in the room; Governor Pataki, State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Speaker.
How many years of jokes about this stultifying trio?
It's not funny anymore, if it ever was.
Now the Democrats are whining, as if these days of wine and roses were never going to end?
They ended in 1998/1999, except a lot of people either never got the memo or refused to read it.
Hence, I have no patience with Rick Lazio trying to rationalize kind words for a governor and his political party at a time when they are petulantly refusing to do their jobs!!!
Could it be that Rick Lazio and some of the State GOP are just too nice to defeat Andrew Cuomo?
Liz Benjamin of Capital Tonight had the details on the current budget extenders.
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