Pataki Decides to Forgo a 4th Term, Confidants Say

NY TIMES ^ | July 27, 2005 | MICHAEL COOPER and PATRICK D. HEALY

[neverdem]

ALBANY, July 26 - Gov. George E. Pataki told a group of supporters and aides Tuesday night that he would not seek a fourth term as governor after abruptly summoning them to the governor's mansion, according to two people who attended the meeting.

Mr. Pataki's announcement came as polls showed him trailing Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, the Democrat who hopes to succeed him as governor. But it sets the stage for Mr. Pataki to explore a possible run for president in 2008.

Mr. Pataki's decision marks the beginning of the end of his three-term reign, which began when he toppled his predecessor, Mario M. Cuomo, in an upset victory. Mr. Pataki, a Republican, took office nearly 11 years ago pledging to remake a state government that had been run by Democrats for an entire generation.

His announcement ends months of speculation about his political future in New York, but leaves the state's Republican Party pressed to find a candidate to run to replace him. Republicans have mentioned Secretary of State Randy A. Daniels and Tom Golisano, a Rochester billionaire who spent millions of dollars attacking Mr. Pataki when he ran for governor in 2002 as an Independent, among others, as possible candidates.

But the meeting at the governor's mansion, a hastily arranged affair that had supporters from across the state scurrying to attend, was almost more like a family reunion than a political gathering, according to someone who was there who spoke on the condition of anonymity so as not to upstage the governor's planned announcement on Wednesday. Mr. Pataki reminisced about being sworn in under a picture of Theodore Roosevelt, one of his idols, and told friends and supporters that they had accomplished great things over the years together, this person said, and that they should be proud.

[neverdem]

...Mr. Pataki, who has always been liberal on certain social issues, such as abortion rights and gun control,...

Correct me if I'm wrong, but IIRC, Pataki campaigned in 1994 as if he was NOT a gun grabber! Maybe he was just a stealthy RINO.

[neverdem]

FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.

[rmlew]

Spiro Agnew and Dukakis still have better shots of being the first Greek President, and Agnew is a dead convict.

[JohnLongIsland]

Pataki is part hungarian, irish, and italian
and full RINO
but he still will be remembered fondly cause spitzer's politics make cuomo's look like spiro agnew's

[zbigreddogz]

Pataki started out great, and has went downhill since 2002.

Anyhow, it doesn't matter.

Here is the situation in a nutshell:

Rudy runs = Governor Giulliani.

Rudy doesn't run = Governor Spitzer.

It's that simple.

[ken5050]

and in other news from NY today, the sun has just come up..

[Vaquero]

yes Wacky Pataki was pro gun by cracky!....till he got to his 2nd term...then this Jackalope completely alienated us 2nd ammendment true believers. This is after the NRA supplied "Support Freedom, elect Patatki" bumper stickers. time for me to resurrect an old posting comment on Pataki: "Believe it or not, lovers of liberty, the constitution and more specifically the 2nd amendment were better off under Cuomo. For the first 2 of his 3 winning election, I received pro Pataki literature from the NRA including "Support Freedom, Elect Pataki" bumper stickers. Cuomo being a dyed in the wool anti gunner. Funny thing happened in his second term....Pataki turned on his constituency and proposed and received draconian gun bills that layered more repression upon us already repressed NY gun owners. Previously when Mr. Cuomo would propose like measures, he would receive backing of the Democrat assembly, but the upstate dominant Republican state senate would stone wall his attempts leaving them in limbo. Of course with their own boy in the governors mansion, the State Senate shooed these awful bills into law. Last election I voted for the third party clown Galisano as my protest vote. The democrat candidate would have at least elicited gridlock....far better than what we got with Pataki. Pataki for president???? not as standard barer of the Republican party...never happened never will....(and that goes for Rudy too)"

[PzLdr]

Re: The title. You can't forgo what you had no chance of winning.

Re: Pataki:.He's a pro-abortion, anti-gun political hack, who sold his soul, and the state Treasury to the unions to win his last re-election. [Never vote for a Republican endorsed by the Teachers' and Public Service Employees' unions]. Pataki's Stealth Assault Gun ban was WORSE than Clinton's [If grandfathered in, you could own your weapons, but could not sell, or transfer them]. The Assault Gun ban in the Legislature now [sponsored in the Senate by a Republican, no less] is MUCH worse. Good riddance to bad rubbish. And by the bye, Rudy Giuliani is also anti-gun, pro-abortion and pro Gay rights, so even if he runs against Spitzer, New York will uphold its tradition of giving voters the illusion of a choice, and the choice of an illusion.

[neverdem]

Rudy runs = Governor Giuliani.

Pataki gave Rudy a favor that he didn't deserve. Most remember Giuliani's endorsement of Cuomo in 1994. If it's Giuliani against Spitzer, thank Pataki for small favors.

[Donna Lee Nardo]

I totally agree about Guiliani. Either he runs or we will have Spitzer. So many inroads made by Republicans across the state are disappearing due to dumbodemowimwit activism (and some previous stongholds have been challenged or completely lost because of corruption and that is a shame).

But why would Giuliani want the NY governership? I doubt he wants to be holed up for any length of time in dull Albany. Prove me wrong, Rudy...

[Donna Lee Nardo]

dumbodemowimwit= dumbodemodimwit!

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Overall, the NYS Rep Party is no longer decidely anti-abortion and it has not been since the early-mid '90s. Another shame and simple pandering to what the State GOP "thinks" would attract more women. WRONG.

Perhaps they have recently reconsidered?

[PzLdr]

Nope. Take a look. The Mayor [Bloomburg] is a titular Republican at best - in the New York sense. That means he's decidedly pink on social issues. In New York the 800 lb. gorilla is New York City.So Republicans in this state, who were never conservative to begin with [which was why the Conservative Party was originally formed]have never been conservative. Rockerfeller knifed Goldwater. Jake 'the Snake' Javits was or longest serving Republican Senator,and both of the suburban counties on Long Island are increasingly Democrat. The Bronx Democrat machine reelected a Democrat DA - after he died . Hell, "W" gave them 20 billion after 9/11, and they still went for Kerry. They'll never change. Hopefully, they'll just go extinct.