News Copy, New York

Weld Picking Pataki Appointee As Number Two

Rick Karlin of the Albany Times Union blog Capitol Confidential reported twenty minutes ago that William Weld will pick New York State Secretary of State Chris Jacobs as his Lieutenant Governor running mate.

"Jacobs, from Buffalo, was recently appointed Secretary of State by Gov. George Pataki, and before that, he mounted an unsuccessful bid against Marc Coppola for a state senate seat. Jacobs would make sense as a running mate as he could bring some geographic balance to a Weld ticket."

Now what happens if Faso wins the nomination and Jacobs is nominated by Republicans as his running mate -- or can that confusion happen anymore?

Could Vanderhoef and Jacobs only make it more confusing with their own primary?

If Weld loses and Jacobs wins -- or Faso loses and Vanderhoef loses, who carries the shotgun through this political marriage?

News Copy should ask former Westchester County Executive Al Del Bello (and former New York City Mayor Ed Koch's Lieutenant Governor running mate -- who then became Mario Cuomo's Lt. Governor in 1982) about that scenario.

Del Bello won the Democratic primary against Cuomo's choice for a running mate, H. Carl McCall.

Jeffrey Page of The Bergen Record recounted that Lieutenant Governor conflict.

"Cuomo and Del Bello - Felix and Oscar if you will - went on to be elected in November. So they were thrust together unwillingly and, because the role of the New York lieutenant governor is limited, Del Bello would have interesting work only if Cuomo assigned him. No one - except maybe for Cuomo himself — could have known it at the time, but while Del Bello hadn't even taken the oath of office, his days were numbered."

Del Bello was a popular County Executive in Westchester, winning three elections, and has remained a force behind-the-scenes in lower Hudson Valley politics.  He is active as an attorney and has earned a well-liked reputation as a development guru -- right-sizing suburban/urban development to bring back a village feel to many downtowns throughout his home county.

As for the Lieutenany Governor machinations, one legal eagle reminded News Copy that the Conservative Party might have an election law conflict if either Faso or Vanderhoef lost -- though we're yet to get any confirmation on that quandry.

Conservatives Gather To Nominate Statewide Candidates

The New York Conservative Party is holding its State Convention this afternoon (3:00 pm) to send its statewide candidates into the liberal drowning pool.

It's apparently official that Rockland County Executive C. Scott Vanderhoef will be chosen as John Faso's lieutenant governor, according to The Journal News and numerous press reports.

The New York Times headline said it all:

Faso Expected to Name Suburban Moderate as Running Mate

The Daily News:  Faso tabs moderate for ticket

Was the word "moderate" an idea dreamnt up by reporters or was this adjective spun to them?

The following in the Albany Times Union had no attribution but some facts are more inherent than others, so I won't argue the point.

"Vanderhoef is less conservative than Faso. He has publicly supported abortion rights and he began his political career working for the late Gov. Nelson Rockefeller, a moderate Republican."

Vanderhoef has been described by political analysts in the Hudson Valley as a Rockefeller Republican, a social liberal but one who does extremely well in Rockland County.

Spinning him as a "moderate" doesn't help John Faso.  Vanderhoef is a liberal.

Glenn Blain and Yancey Roy of the Gannett News Service had the following observation in The Journal News -- but doesn't all this political handicapping smatter of editorializing and more opinionated commentary than anything we could put forth on News Copy?

"A Faso-Vanderhoef ticket would, in some ways, be an odd pairing, because Faso is favored by the GOP's more conservative wing and is considered a social conservative, while Vanderhoef favors abortion rights and is widely viewed as a moderate."

Roy, Blain, Benjamin, Mahoney and Medina are all correct.

"Odd" is an understatement.  Vanderhoef is close to Rockland County GOP chairman Vincent Reda, who is close to State GOP chairman Stephen Minarik, and the Rockland County Executive had initially been in negotiations with 315 State Street (the State Republican Committee) to run for State Comptroller.

So whose side of the Republican Party does C. Scott Vanderhoef come from?

I'm just wondering how Conservatives feel right now -- and why their comment weren't included in any of these stories.  It's a slap in the face to Mike Long and the New York State Conservative Party to pick a Rockefeller Republican as a running mate, only two hours before the Conservative State Convention.

My thoughts on this pick are mixed.  Political speaking, we now have something more interesting than a Taconic Ticket.  This slight detour from Yonkers across the Tappan Zee Bridge gives New York's Republican such a lower Hudson Valley flavor that I might have an allergic reaction before the day is out.

Most of the opposition research is within a two hour's drive up and down the New York State Thruway.  William Weld should make it interesting and pick a running mate from Potsdam or Buffalo.  Between Jeanine Pirro running for Attorney General and John Spencer running for U.S. Senate, Westchester certainly won't be boring this summer and State Senator Nick Spano can't make any excuses that everyone is picking on him.

Faso almost had to go outside Westchester to find a politically sensible co-pilot.  It's never an easy task but I personally don't buy the logic that a running mate should "balance" the ticket.  Vanderhoef is a moderate, not particularly exciting as a candidate (so he won't be distracting) but Rockland County could be a tipping point in the Republican gubernatorial primary. 

I imagine that there wasn't a very long list to choose from either.  Also, one source close to a prospective female Faso running mate admitted to turning him down...

Now William Weld doesn't have to feel so bad that he was rejected by Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks.

Faso described the State Assembly as a "leftist socialist-type bastion" yesterday on Tony Colavita's WVOX radio show -- so at least there is hope that this moderate Republican-type ticket will show some guts on national platform Republican ideals.