Posted on 02/15/2006 7:19:13 AM PST by areafiftyone
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) -- A former Defense Department official who has been out of government for 20 years is considering entering the race for the Republican nomination to challenge Hillary Rodham Clinton's re-election bid.
Kathleen "K-T" McFarland of Manhattan says she'll decide within two weeks whether to run for the G-O-P's Senate nomination.
McFarland was a deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs from 1982 to 1985. She has been out of government since then and has never run for public office.
Republican Party leaders in New York have been looking for an abortion-rights-supporting woman to challenge Hillary Clinton.
McFarland, a mother of five and grandmother of three, fits that description.
So far the front-runner for the G-O-P nomination has been former Yonkers Mayor John Spencer, an anti-abortion conservative.
I still say that she will not run and that a new carpetbagger will come to Town. She'll shreek that her non-run is at the request of the party to address National issues for the campaign of 2008.
"Ya know"...she's just a power mongering egomaniac. She should have run with Kerry as VP. She got greedy!! It cost the party!! And being in the Senate has given everyone an opportunity to know more about Hillary than she wanted us to know.
I don't think its a possibility she will run. I think its certain. She was on WLS (Chicago) this morning...
That's not good. Its getting too close and I thought the NY GOP was being Spencer. They are the dummest people on the face of this earth!
Of course they are. They might not admit it, but what the NY GOP REALLY wants in their heart of hearts is for Hillary to switch parties. They would endorse her in a second.
She's got no shot against Clinton - against Maloney she probably will have a shot. I would love to see Maloney lose her seat! I don't understand why the NY GOP is so worried about getting a female to run against Hillary. Its not necessary if we have a good candidate and we do!
I agree
Call me paranoid, but I think the NY GOP party bosses are more interested in helping Hillie than Spencer. Well, they can lead a horse to water. Upstate the party bosses don't dictate jack. Folks up here will vote the way they want. And most of the folks I've talked to like Spencer. I even know some Dems who'll switch parties so they can vote for him in the event of a primary contest :)
Wow that's great! I think Spencer will do fine. -
I like Santorum alot, so I hope you are correct. Maybe I exaggerated with the word massacre, lol, but I just don't like the position that the GOP has put itself in. There seems to be large disconnect between the leaders and the voters, and I would just like to see them bridge that gap before November.
Does Mel Gibson live in New York? Oh. I forgot. It doesn't matter.
Why doesn't she run for Governor? John Spencer is a good candidate - someone needs to put a bug in her ear and think about the Governorship!
Hitler could run on the Dem ticket in NY and win. Actually, he might do better than Hillary. No one can win in NY, the key is to find someone who can bloody her for 2008.
Listen, stick through FR through at least one election cycle and you'll see how these things go. There's a reason that reasonable Freepers are not down on Santorum. I stand by my over/under of +1 GOP for the Senate in 2006. And that is counting Chafee as a Republican.
Hey, ya beat me to it! I'll just add my two cents to SC's observation that there's a disconnect. I agree there is a perception of a disconnect (we can argue later as to how realistic this perception is), but that has happened during every off time (winter/spring) before upcoming elections. Soon you'll see exaggerated pessimism replaced by exaggerated optimism for a while, then the final weeks will produce HOURLY swings here at FR! :-)
So before focusing on any good or bad news (and we all do it), take a look at other factors (other polls, voter registration numbers, fundraising, money from NRSC/RNC, etc.) to get a better feel for how a candidate is doing.
I forgot to include RI as a potential Dem pickup. (Understandable, given that the incumbent is basically a Dem anyway.)
No. Realistic.
"No one can win in NY, the key is to find someone who can bloody her for 2008."
If that's your option - then a pro-choice liberal leaning woman would be the best opponant - she would wind up having to beat on herself.
Reality is that Republicans like me in upstate NY, won't like a pro-abortion candidate. As usual, they ignore us.
"Reality is that Republicans like me in upstate NY, won't like a pro-abortion candidate."
You don't have to like them, just that they would be electable as an alternative to Hillery.
Odds are you may NEVER get someone you like, so your viable option is the one who will do you the least harm, and possibly move the State just ever so slightly closer to your side.
Code Pink holds seminars for that...
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