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Benjamin spoiling for a chance to take on Schumer
The New York Times ^ | November 10, 2003 | Raymond Hernandez

Posted on 11/10/2003 8:17:32 AM PST by blaylock

November 10, 2003 He's Spoiling for a Chance to Take On Schumer By RAYMOND HERNANDEZ

n New York Republican circles, Michael Benjamin has become a bit like the kid on the basketball court begging the other players to pass him the ball.

Even as the party has all but given up any hope of finding a candidate who can beat New York's well-funded senior senator, Charles E. Schumer, next year, Mr. Benjamin has been trying to convince the party's leaders that he is the man for the job.

Mr. Benjamin, 33, has put more than 40,000 miles on his Ford Explorer in the last nine months, visiting every one of the state's 62 counties in an effort to round up support from local party leaders and rank-and-file Republicans.

He has also managed to arrange meetings with some leading Republicans in the state, including Joseph L. Bruno, the Senate majority leader, and Alexander F. Treadwell, the state party chairman.

He even cornered Gov. George E. Pataki at a recent fund-raiser in Westchester County to press his case, though the governor's response was something on the order of "Don't call us, we'll call you," according to people familiar with the encounter. (An aide to the governor said that Mr. Pataki told Mr. Benjamin at the time that he might contact him later on.)

All this might have discouraged other candidates, but not Mr. Benjamin, a fast-talking former Wall Street trader whose fund-raising for Republicans has no doubt helped him get a foot in the door with party chieftains, none of whom chose to be quoted on the subject of Mr. Benjamin.

"I'm not discouraged in the least," Mr. Benjamin said the other day in an interview. "I haven't gotten a green light from the powers that be, but I haven't gotten a red light, either."

Mr. Benjamin is facing something that Republican leaders in New York would really rather not discuss, at least publicly: the huge lead, financially and politically, that Mr. Schumer holds as he heads into a re-election year.

That has led Republican leaders in New York to avoid the extremely difficult issue of whom they should put up for a probable losing cause. Any Republican is very likely to be trounced by Mr. Schumer, a first-term senator who has considerable support even among Republicans in public polls.

New York Republicans have concluded that they are better off devoting money and other campaign resources to another political objective: helping President Bush mount a competitive 2004 re-election campaign in New York, a state that the Democratic presidential candidate usually wins with ease.

In fact, several top New York Republicans, including Mr. Pataki, are said to be worried that attempting a serious challenge to Mr. Schumer could stir up Democrats and hurt any chance that Mr. Bush might have in the state. The last Republican presidential candidate to win the state was Ronald Reagan.

Referring to Mr. Benjamin's campaign to oust Mr. Schumer, a senior adviser to one New York Republican leader said recently, "Nobody has the heart to tell him that it's a hopeless cause."

"But who knows?" the adviser continued. "Maybe we'll end up giving him the nomination since nobody else wants it. He could be another Bob McMillan." Robert R. McMillan was the Nassau County lawyer who emerged from political obscurity in 1988 to challenge New York's previous senior senator, Daniel P. Moynihan. At the time, even Republicans conceded that Mr. McMillan was little more than a sacrificial lamb.

Fifteen years later, Mr. Benjamin acts genuinely thrilled by any suggestion that his candidacy is being taken seriously by people outside of his relatively small circle of supporters. He has, for example, filled his campaign Web site with newspaper articles chronicling the reaction he has received as he travels around the state to places like Norwich, where one reporter described him as the only "top politician" to attend the 28th annual Chenango County Lobsterfest.

Mr. Benjamin gets very upset when articles about next year's United States Senate race fail to mention him. "What do I have to do to get you to cover my campaign?" he once asked a reporter with more than a hint of frustration.

Politically, Mr. Benjamin has sprung up from virtually nowhere. The son of immigrants — his father is Iranian, his mother Honduran — he lived in Central and South America because of his father's job with the Bank of America, the biography on his Web site says. Fluent in Spanish, Mr. Benjamin points out that he would be the first United States Senator of Hispanic origin from New York if he defeats Mr. Schumer.

When the family was not abroad, Mr. Benjamin spent much of his childhood and youth living in Greenwich, Conn., where he went to elementary and high school. However, the biography posted on his Web site says, "Regardless of where the family moved, Michael always maintained his New York roots by spending the summer and winter months with his grandparents in Forest Hills, Queens."

Mr. Benjamin says he wants to defeat Mr. Schumer because the senator "has been leading the state and the country in the wrong direction." Among other things, he singles out Mr. Schumer's opposition to the president's nominees for the federal bench and his vote opposing a bill the president recently signed outlawing what critics call partial-birth abortion.

"I strongly believe that New York deserves better leadership in the United States Senate," he said.

Mr. Benjamin, who is single, worked on Wall Street after graduating from New York University with a bachelor's degree in economics. He paid his way through school by modeling in the fashion industry, though he said he prefers not to talk about it. Mr. Benjamin dismisses any suggestion that his campaign is quixotic, adding that in recent months he has enlisted 2,000 campaign volunteers, received financial contributions from 11,000 individuals and conducted interviews with scores of reporters.

"We're building a grass-roots organization here," said Mr. Benjamin, who left his job as a securities trader at a Wall Street firm almost a year ago to start his candidacy. "It's been an enormous amount of work."

It is not completely out of the realm of possibility for Mr. Benjamin to get the party's nomination, especially since several prominent Republicans have already rebuffed invitations from the party to try to unseat Mr. Schumer, including Randy A. Daniels, the secretary of state in the Pataki administration, and Georgette Mosbacher, a prominent Republican fund-raiser and the former wife of Robert Mosbacher, the secretary of commerce under George H. W. Bush.

Mr. Benjamin also has proven his party loyalty, helping raise, he says, more than $150,000 for Republicans in New York and nationally. He recently suggested that he might have the party's best chance of toppling Mr. Schumer (though it is worth noting here that with $200,000 in his campaign war chest, he is about $17.8 million behind Mr. Schumer in fund-raising).

"My supporters and I seem to be the only ones who don't want to give Schumer a free ride," he said. "We're really building something here."


TOPICS: Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: benjamin; electionussenate; newyork; schumer; senate
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I think this is a very fair article. That said, it's time for the NY GOP to rally around a candidate to at least give Schumer some headaches!
1 posted on 11/10/2003 8:17:33 AM PST by blaylock
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To: blaylock
Abe Hirschfield?
2 posted on 11/10/2003 8:19:43 AM PST by ken5050
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To: blaylock
In fact, several top New York Republicans, including Mr. Pataki, are said to be worried that attempting a serious challenge to Mr. Schumer could stir up Democrats and hurt any chance that Mr. Bush might have in the state.

Oh, how I tire of hearing this cannard.

3 posted on 11/10/2003 8:20:56 AM PST by ClintonBeGone
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To: blaylock
He sounds like a good candidate and his "non-political background" may just be what New York needs after a term of Schumer and Shrillary!
4 posted on 11/10/2003 8:21:46 AM PST by princess leah
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To: blaylock
Any Republican is very likely to be trounced by Mr. Schumer, a first-term senator who has considerable support even among Republicans in public polls.

One need look no further to discern the abominable state of political and moral affairs in NY than reading this sentence!

5 posted on 11/10/2003 8:35:44 AM PST by Gritty
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To: princess leah
"He sounds like a good candidate...."

Any person running against these two idiots has to garnish more than 60% of the vote upstate and on LI to offset NYC.

Sadly, and speaking as a Long Islander, most soccer Mom's are in love with Hillary; if she backs Schumer that will be their man as well.

The socialist thinking that has taken over NY is only getting stronger I am afraid.

Unfortunately, the only way I believe one of these two Dimwitts will be displaced is if Rudy runs or if they are brought up on ethics violations. Other than that the "Useful Idiots" residing in this state will be all to happy to support them.

Most NY's don't have a clue what these two stand for and how they vote in the Senate.
6 posted on 11/10/2003 8:36:43 AM PST by PigRigger (Send donations to http://www.AdoptAPlatoon.org)
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To: blaylock
Any Republican is very likely to be trounced by Mr. Schumer, a first-term senator who has considerable support even among Republicans in public polls.

There is something dramatically wrong with Reps when they support somebody like the detestable Schumer. RINOs rule the Rep Party in NY. Sick!!

7 posted on 11/10/2003 8:42:02 AM PST by DeweyCA
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To: PigRigger
I had hoped that Giuliani would run. Do you think this means that he may be asked to take Cheney's spot ?
8 posted on 11/10/2003 8:42:53 AM PST by weepnomore
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To: ClintonBeGone
I think someone, anyone should take the lead here. I do not buy (not for one second) that a strong challenge to Schumer will impact negatively on President Bush. Whoever the Dem. nominee is will garner plenty of support on their own. Especially in New York. I will be very disappointed if Governor Pataki doesn't take an active interest in this race. Someone needs to put the screws to Schumer and Benjamin seems to be as good as anyone else. At least he is committed to this race. His final quote of this article is very telling - - -

"My supporters and I seem to be the only ones who don't want to give Schumer a free ride, we're really building something here." Michael Benjamin
9 posted on 11/10/2003 8:44:33 AM PST by nycfree
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To: ClintonBeGone
Oh, how I tire of hearing this cannard.

Agree with that. Republicans need to contest every single race. There's just no excuse not to find at least one credible candidate. OK, some of the races may not be winnable, and even if one (wrongly) puts the Schumer contest in that category, an important point is missed:

Every time Schumer opens his mouth, Republicans gain votes all over the Country.

10 posted on 11/10/2003 8:53:05 AM PST by TontoKowalski
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To: blaylock
"Nobody has the heart to tell him that it's a hopeless cause."

Well, now, there's the right attitude. Is it any wonder we continue to get pushed around like little girls even when we are in the majority? Why is the Republican party unable to deal with success?
11 posted on 11/10/2003 9:29:21 AM PST by beelzepug ("As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly!!!")
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To: blaylock
The article says Chuckles has overwhelming support, including from many Republicans. What Republican can possibly support Chuckles, who is one of the biggest socialists in the country, and is well-knonw for being viscerally anti-America. He is a vile tyrant whose hypcrisy defies any rational explanation. What he has done on the Senate Judiciary Committee is treasonous and criminal. He should have been tarred and feathered and run out on a rail a long time ago. Chuckles exemplifies everything that is vile and venal in America today.
12 posted on 11/10/2003 10:06:10 AM PST by ought-six
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To: blaylock
In fact, several top New York Republicans, including Mr. Pataki, are said to be worried that attempting a serious challenge to Mr. Schumer could stir up Democrats and hurt any chance that Mr. Bush might have in the state.

How gutless.

13 posted on 11/10/2003 10:09:05 AM PST by Dan from Michigan ("Dead or alive, I got a .45, and I never miss" - AC/DC)
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To: blaylock; ken5050; ClintonBeGone; princess leah; Gritty; PigRigger; DeweyCA; weepnomore; nycfree; ..
This guy has a website up now with a place to sign up for an e-mail newsletter. I found it linked on the NRSC site:


Michael Benjamin for U.S. Senate

14 posted on 12/16/2003 3:04:44 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: Republican Wildcat
Bump
15 posted on 12/16/2003 3:06:18 PM PST by 4.1O dana super trac pak (Don't avoid. Read Joe Guzzardi.)
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To: Republican Wildcat
ANYONE BUT LENSLICE SCHUMER
16 posted on 12/16/2003 3:07:22 PM PST by cyborg
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To: Dan from Michigan
It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me strategically, even if they do think it is hopeless to unseat him. If Schumer doesn't have to campaign for himself at all, he can spend all of his time helping the Democrat Pres. candidate carry New York, help fundraise for NY House Democrats and also help raise money for other Democrats nationally.
17 posted on 12/16/2003 3:09:49 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: Republican Wildcat
Hm...
Schumer is very popular among several groups in NY, and there are those who will go to any length to vote for Schumer against anyone the Republicans field.
Some of them, unfortunately, claim to be Republicans.
One would think, though, that if they voted for Schumer, they'd vote for the Witch.
Those of which I speak hate her with a passion.
I honestly do not understand some of the thinking that goes on here in state.
And the thought that was stated to me in response to my question about the above actions: "At least Schumer is from NY."

I never bothered to check up on that statement's veracity after hearing it.

Here's to someone ousting the greasy used car salesman.
18 posted on 12/16/2003 3:13:14 PM PST by Darksheare (Saddam's next physical: The electric enema followed by a minor bit of squeezing and shredding.)
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To: MeeknMing
General interest ping?
19 posted on 12/16/2003 3:14:52 PM PST by Republican Wildcat
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To: blaylock
Bush might not have a chance in the state? MIGHT not have a chance? Good Lord, he HAS no chance here and every dang one of us knows it. Unless there is a cataclysmic shift in attitudes towards Dubya here, this is Dean country.

I've told my liberal "comrades" they can vote for Dean & Chuckie and whine for them all they want--the Democrats will win here but lose everywhere else that counts.
20 posted on 12/16/2003 3:48:03 PM PST by GiveEmDubya
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