Governor 2006

Pataki is widely regarded by Republicans to be a RINO - a Republican in Name Only. I tend to agree with this. Why? Because the Republican Party I knew was very strongly in favor of fiscal restraint and conservatism. That's simply absent in New York State politics. New York State is a banana republic. It's run by a triumverate - Pataki, Bruno & Silver. Two Republicans and one Democrat. The lobbyists in Albany have more access to these three, and more influence over lawmaking, than your Assemblyperson or State Senator do. New York has too many state workers, too many state programs, programs that are too expensive, too many authorities that freely spend tax dollars with little or no accountability. County governments are drowning in a sea of Medicaid bills from the State. Unfunded mandates from Albany are a dime a dozen. (Combined that with some choice cronyism, scandal and mismanagement from the likes of Joel Giambra, and you've got a recipe for disaster). So, our bulldog of an AG, Elliott Spitzer, wants to run for Governor in 2006. Only if he pledges to reform our government - only if he pledges to bring accountability and representative government to Albany. Please, God. Let that be Spitzer's message.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15 - Senator Charles E. Schumer on Monday ruled out running for governor of New York in 2006, saying that he would instead help lead the Democratic Party's efforts to retake the Senate. Mr. Schumer's decision reshapes the political landscape in New York State and leaves the field open to Eliot Spitzer, the Democratic state attorney general, who has been gearing up for the campaign. Gov. George E. Pataki, a Republican in his third term, has not said whether he will seek re-election. Mr. Schumer, 53, who was just re-elected to a second term with a record 71 percent of the vote, made his decision to stay in Washington after seriously considering a jump to Albany, in part because of the diminished role of Democrats in the Senate. But top Democrats vigorously campaigned to keep him in Washington, promising him a spot on the powerful Finance Committee and persuading him to lead the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee through the midterm elections of 2006.