You know who I don’t want to see in that Senate seat? Gillibrand.
We need someone that can beat Gillibrand this November and hold the seat in 2012. Pataki would almost certainly beat Gillibrand this November, and would have a better-than-even chance of holding the seat in 2012. None of the other potential candidates being mentioned can say the same, although Senor may be abe to beat Gillibrand this November and wouldn’t necessarily be a lame duck if he won.
I know, Pataki is pro-abortion and rather a squish on other issues, but he’s not as liberal as other prominent NY Republicans. His views and record are like Lazio’s, obviously too liberal to be considered for a Senate seat in a state such as Pennsylvania or Florida, but acceptable in a state with such a dearth of viable conservative candidates as NY. We need to elect conservatives to Congress so that in a few years we have a conservative with the right profile for a U.S. Senate run in NY; right now, the closest thing we have to that is Peter King, and he’s unreliable on many issues and frankly may not have the ability to win statewide.
Can you imagine Kirk, Castle, Snowe, Collins, Pataki, Carly, and Little Lindsay Graham running the Senate? I guess the House could restrain them, but if they had their way they'd pass Cap and Trade, Amnesty, tax hikes, gay marriage, and support Bill Clinton to head the new world government.
I don't mind a few moderates in the caucus who know how to play ball, but I don't want them reaching critical mass.