Lazio Says Giuliani 'Blowing' Race

ALBANY, N.Y.--A Republican congressman said Sunday his party is stumbling badly with New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as its Senate candidate against Hillary Rodham Clinton.

"We are in the process of potentially blowing this race," Rep. Rick Lazio, R-N.Y., said on ABC-TV's "This Week." Lazio has said he has not ruled out challenging Giuliani for his party's nomination. However on Sunday, Lazio stopped short of saying Giuliani can't win. "What I'm prepared to say is we're less likely to win relative to myself or maybe even another candidate who can bring the party together," Lazio said.

The Suffolk County representative said he could still replace Giuliani as the Republican candidate if state GOP leaders -and particularly Gov. George Pataki -give him the go-ahead. On Sunday, Pataki didn't seem to be budging. "The governor strongly supports Mayor Giuliani and looks forward to beating Hillary Clinton in November," said Pataki spokeswoman Suzanne Morris.

Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson said: "It is yet another sign of the deep concern that Republicans across the state have about Rudy Giuliani's ability to be effective in the Senate." Giuliani's camp on Sunday refused to comment. Lazio, one month before the state Republican Convention in Buffalo, said Pataki has to rethink his support of Giuliani. "He's got to say, 'Listen, we've got some serious problems here. Hillary Rodham Clinton's numbers are moving up. More importantly the mayor's numbers are collapsing,"' Lazio said.

Giuliani has recently been sharply criticized for comments and his release of court-sealed juvenile court records of Patrick Dorismond, a black man fatally shot by New York police. Polls show the close race between Giuliani and Clinton is growing tighter after Giuliani's support of police in the Dorismond shooting.

Lazio also said Giuliani apparently doesn't seek, and won't get, backing of New York's Conservative Party. No Republican has won statewide office without Conservative Party support since 1974. "What the political leadership and establishment in New York, I think, ought to be saying is, 'Hey, let's look to find a candidate that can bring the party together, that can attract soft Democrats and independents, present a better, more positive, more inclusive message for Republicans and beat Hillary Clinton," Lazio said.

-- cin (cinlooo@aol.corn), April 02, 2000

Answers

Duh, do you think an out of control NYPD has anything to do with Guiliani's falling numbers?

-- INever (inevercheckmy@onebox.com), April 02, 2000.

Guiliani is an idiot. He is the worst mayor this city has had since I've been here--35 years.

-- Mara (MW@aol.com), April 02, 2000.

Disagree,..he's the best thing New York has ever had. A bit gung-ho, yes, but it has worked. He has cleaned that city up and made it a show place again. Yes, I don't live in NYC,..but since I neighbor it, I'm there frequently enough to have seen the change. I don't even agree with everything he's done,..and I would hate him too for some of his traffic laws, okay? but come on now...If you give that state to Hillary, you're flushing it right down the toilet.

-- kritter (kritter@adelphia.net), April 03, 2000.

The only good thing for NYC will be a 1000KT nuke to get that pool of

pestilenz out of New York State.

We are tired to pay with our taxes for the downstate scum.

-- Bad (Bad@itis.com), April 03, 2000.

Mara:

What are some of your reasons for saying that?

I have to admit that as a somewhat frequent visitor to your city I think that it really has regained its place among the top 2 or 3 cities in the world. I do also think that the booming ecomony is responsible for most of that change and, as with the presidency, Giuliani is riding a wave of prosperity. I am very disturbed about the tendency of the police to shoot first and ask questions later.

-- abc (123@456.789), April 03, 2000.

It's the "Hillary.com" effect. The non-performing stocks are incredibly overvalued, while the real producers simply tank.

-- Squirrel Hunter (nuts@upina.cellrelaytower), April 03, 2000.