A Fiery Unknown (yes, another bagger) Ruffles New York’s Republicans

[babylonsister]

A Fiery Unknown Ruffles New York’s Republicans
By MICHAEL BARBARO
Published: September 12, 2010


RIVERHEAD, N.Y. — Inside an Elks’ lodge here in the heart of middle-class Long Island, a crowd of 150 Tea Party members erupted into thunderous applause over the weekend when Carl P. Paladino, the resurgent Republican candidate for governor, outlined his plan to tame New York’s entrenched political class.

“I’m taking a baseball bat to Albany with me,” he told them, setting off shouts of “God bless you!” and “Go get ’em!”

But on the eve of the Republican primary, members of the state’s anxious party establishment are worried that Mr. Paladino is also swinging at them.

Party leaders, after assuming that former Representative Rick A. Lazio of Long Island would coast to victory in the election on Tuesday, find themselves racing to shore up support for their nominee and to beat back an unexpectedly robust challenge from Mr. Paladino, a businessman from Buffalo and a newcomer to politics.

As polling over the weekend suggested that a once-lopsided race was suddenly too close to call, Mr. Lazio crisscrossed the state to lock down votes. Allies rushed out a new series of television ads highlighting his conservative credentials. And after ignoring Mr. Paladino for months, Mr. Lazio openly questioned his fitness to be governor, declaring in an ad released on Sunday that he “can’t be trusted and shouldn’t be believed.”


more...

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/13/nyregion/13repubs.html?_r=1&hp

[rfranklin]

1. Always the terroristic threats....

These tea baggers are domestic terrorists without a doubt.

[rpannier]

2. The Connecticut Republican Primary also appears to be getting interesting

Here's a weird one for you...I rec'd this post and got a 0 for net recs

Normally, I kind of find it amusing when it does that, but a story like this...it's plain weird and disturbing

[babylonsister]

3. You shouldn't be surprised.

You have to know there are people on this board who don't want the Dems to succeed.

[rpannier]

4. Apparently not

I guess they like misery or something :shrug:

[ejpoeta]

5. the problem is that lazio didn't take paladino seriously. perhaps if he would have debated him

the crazy would have shown. i know that the local station showed the statewide polling and then showed upstate polling. and upstate folks despise downstate. they think that nyc is stealing all our money and putting all downstate people in postions of power. this is not true, of course.... but some know how to create divisions.

i don't like either lazio or paladino... and i wonder when i see the commercials from paladino how specifically he is going to lower taxes AND spending and fix all the problems. it's great in theory, but i don't think people are thinking things through. it sounds good, so that's what i want. i hope neither one of these idiots has a chance against cuomo. i know people think that patterson is such an awful governor.... but frankly, he is in an unwinnable position. and i don't really blame him for the problems we are in. the new york senate is a joke though. we have bigger problems than "cutting taxes and spending" will fix. frankly i wish we could throw them all out and start over. but whatever we do, it won't be an easy bumper sticker fix. and i don't think paladino or lazio have the answers. honestly i think things will end up worse than they are right now.