Posted on 10/14/2005 1:18:02 PM PDT by areafiftyone
ALBANY, N.Y. — As Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton boasted of new fundraising success, Gov. George Pataki on Friday threw his political muscle behind Jeanine Pirro's troubled bid for the GOP nomination to challenge the former first lady's 2006 re-election. Almost immediately, one of Pirro's chief rivals for the Senate nomination, Manhattan lawyer Edward Cox, a son-in-law of the late President Richard Nixon, announced he was quitting the race. The Pataki endorsement of the Westchester County district attorney came as Pirro faced increasing questions over why her more than two-month-old Senate campaign hasn't generated more steam and money. The Republican governor's action came as a big blow to the more conservative Cox, who had repeatedly said Pataki told him this spring he would be the best candidate to challenge Clinton. But within an hour of the joint Pataki-Pirro news conference in New York City on Friday, Cox had bailed out. "The governor is the leader of the Republican Party," Cox said in a statement. "Out of respect for his position and his decision, I have decided to stop my campaign for the United States Senate." Pataki, who had refused to say at his news conference with Pirro if Cox should drop out of the race, had called the district attorney a "trailblazer and a fighter." "New York needs a full-time fighter, and not a part-time politician," said Pirro, stressing her campaign theme that Clinton wants to use the Senate race as a launching pad for a 2008 presidential bid. The timing of the endorsement appeared aimed at deflecting fallout from federal campaign finance reports due this week that were expected to show Pirro trailing far back of Clinton. The Clinton campaign reported Friday raising nearly $5.3 million in the three-month period that ended Sept. 30. Aides said the campaign had more than $13.8 million on hand with the election still more than a year away. Details of Pirro's report weren't immediately available, but the district attorney said she was "confident of our fund-raising ability. ... The fund-raising potential is enormous." Clinton ended 1999, less than 11 months before her 2000 Senate victory, with just $4.7 million in the bank while her Republican opponent, then-New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, had $7.4 million on hand by that point. Giuliani eventually quit the Senate race in the face of prostate cancer and was replaced on the GOP ticket by then-Rep. Rick Lazio. "This is a tremendous showing of support for Senator Clinton," Patti Solis Doyle, head of the Friends of Hillary campaign committee, said Friday. Meanwhile, Cox reported raising almost $540,000 in the third-quarter of the year, but that included a $425,000 loan from himself. He had loaned his campaign $1 million since the beginning of the year. As of Sept. 30, Cox had just $38,357 on hand. Also seeking the GOP Senate nomination are former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer and tax attorney William Brenner from Sullivan County. Spencer, who raised less than $117,000 in the past three months, said Pataki's endorsement of Pirro came as no surprise and was "a desperation move to try to breathe some life into what everyone sees is a bad candidate and a bad campaign." Statewide polls show Clinton far ahead of the potential 2006 opposition while national polls have her as the front-runner for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination. News of the Pataki endorsement broke as the Pirro campaign suffered yet another glitch. The New York Times reported that two GOP county chairmen listed on Pirro's Web site as having endorsed her candidacy hadn't really done so. One of them, Tom Hayden of Allegany County, told the Times he hadn't even met Pirro. The other was Gordon Brown of Wyoming County. "A piece of friendly advice to Jeanine Pirro: If George Pataki is in fact endorsing you today, you might want to get this one in writing, just to be safe," said Blake Zeff, a spokesman for the state Democratic Committee. Pirro's campaign announcement trip across the state in early August was plagued by technical problems and questions about why her husband wasn't along with her. Albert Pirro is a millionaire lobbyist who served time in federal prison four years ago on tax fraud charges and who has fathered a child with another woman since his marriage to the district attorney. In endorsing Pirro, Pataki, who is eyeing a 2008 run for the White House, had backed a fellow supporter of abortion and gay rights, and gun control, noted national GOP strategist Nelson Warfield. "It's a plus for Pirro's troubled Senate campaign, but a minus for Pataki's tenuous presidential ambitions," said Warfield, a top aide on Bob Dole's unsuccessful presidential campaign. "Now, in addition to explaining his abortion (rights) record to conservatives in Iowa and New Hampshire, Pataki will have to explain why he endorsed the most liberal (Republican) candidate in the New York Senate race."
Originally published on October 14, 2005
Uh oh, her heinous is having an agita attack about now.
God help us all.
(((((PING)))))
Well, now it looks like you guys are stuck with two crooks to vote for. Hitlery and Pirro. What a choice.
Shouldn't this tell people something? I know there has always been crooks and greed; but this is ridiculous. Now we vote for them publicly?
And Cox can provide info on Hillary during Watergate. It'll work.
HOWEVER, I don't think Hillary will even run. If you watched Commander in Chief, the chick said she had had 4 years in Congress anfd that was enough. Gee, could we be watching a "brainwashing" program.
P.S. Haven't see it since. It stinks.
I think it is a good development that JEANINE PIRRO will be the candidate.
I prefer ED COX's positions on many issues, but I feel that a strong woman candidate with a tough on crime, strong law and order,tough on the Death Penalty, tough on terrorism record can make a better fight against MRS. SLICK.
PIRRO can attack MRS. SLICK on a scale that no man could get away with. Remember RICK LAZIO crossing the podium?
ED COX did the right thing to step out of the way. He is an attractive candidate and will live to fight another day.
Knowing JEANINE, I would advise caution to those who took her announcement mishaps as an indication of her abilities and strength.
I'm looking forward to seeing District Attorney Facelift shuffle through her notes during the debate.
I totally agree.
"New York needs a full-time fighter, and not a part-time politician," said Pirro, stressing her campaign theme that Clinton wants to use the Senate race as a launching pad for a 2008 presidential bid.
If that's the best she can do, no wonder she's getting beaten. The carpetbagger charge was weak in 2000, and it's weak now.
There are so many reasons to oppose Hillary!, and this is what her team comes up with?
Senator Facelift is yet another lightweight candidate offerred up by the corrupt, incompetant goombas who run the NY State party.
I think NY conservatives are going to have to take one for the country. Even though Pirro is not want we want, no conservative is going to be elected in NY in '06. Back Pirro with everything you got, if nothing else to bloody Hitlery.
District Attorney Facelift is yet another lightweight candidate offerred up by the corrupt, incompetant goombas who run the NY State party.
That's all she's been doing. I thought she would have been much smarter than that. She should know better, because It didn't work with Lazio. We need someone who can bash Hillary on the issues.
"Pirro a "strong candidate?" Are you on Mars? The women can't talk without a teleprompter"
You don't know JEANINE PIRRO.
She is super smart, and an experienced prosecutor who thinks fast on her feet without noted.
She has tried so many cases, she can do it sleepwalking.
Her announcement jitters were not an indication of her true strength and ability.
She's going to have to do a heck of alot better than what she's been doing. Hillary is an old pro at this game.
Only came to power with the support of the Yonkers machine in Leftchester. I do know Jeanine Pirro, and have seen her speak on the stump in her last campaign for DA. Made me happy that I didn't live in her county.
"If that's the best she can do, no wonder she's getting beaten. The carpetbagger charge was weak in 2000, and it's weak now.
There are so many reasons to oppose Hillary!, and this is what her team comes up with?"
Oh well, you have to understand, there have been a lot of polls, a lot of them, showing that voters don't care whether Clinton will serve out her term or run for President, so...oh, oh right. Nevermind.
"You don't know JEANINE PIRRO.
She is super smart, and an experienced prosecutor who thinks fast on her feet without noted.
She has tried so many cases, she can do it sleepwalking.
Her announcement jitters were not an indication of her true strength and ability."
She'd be a great candidate if it weren't for her crooked mafioso lawyer of a husband.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.