Lazio [will run] for Congress [again]

PoliticsNY.com ^ | 3-18-02 | Enos Throop (PoliticsNY.com staff)

[GraniteStateConservative]

Lazio [will run] for Congress [again]

Sources close to former U.S. Rep. RICK LAZIO (R-Brightwaters) have told PoliticsNY.com that Lazio will run again to regain the 2nd District congressional seat he vacated to run for the U.S. Senate in 2000. Lazio will face freshman U.S. Rep. STEVE ISRAEL (D-Huntington) in what is expected to be one of the most expensive House races in the country.

During the St. Patrick's Day weekend in New York, Lazio looked like a soon-to-be candidate as he huddled with Conservative Party Chairman MIKE LONG at the 218th annual all-male dinner of the Society of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick at the Sheraton Centre in Manhattan.

Apparently, U.S. Rep. TOM REYNOLDS (R-Clarence), the executive chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, made the previously reluctant Lazio an offer he couldn't refuse.

In the meantime, the GOP's chances of retaining control of the U.S. House could depend on Lazio's success in Suffolk County's 2nd Congressional District.

[nopardons]

Abortion is NOT voted on; it's the law of the land. If you want a Conservative majority of Supreme Court Justices ( where abortion IS handled ) , then we have to get Lazio elected , as well as more Conservatives in the Senate. You are not only a silly one subject voter, but a political naif.

I guess that you'd rather have a Dem in the House,fighting President Bush tooth & nail, than Lazio voting FOR the president's proposals. With that kind of political savvy, the Dems must adore you .

[nopardons]

Yeah, vote Libertarian, whose platform is pro-choice. Or, vote for yourself, and help Dems. If you were any dumber, you'd ... oh never mind.

[YaYa123]

"With Bush's resurgence in popularity in New York, Lazio's race will be even easier." Good observation...but you know, I really didn't think the GOP was in any danger of losing the House, at least haven't read much of anything about it.

[GraniteStateConservative]

That's because he hasn't made an announcement yet. This is a very reliable site (PoliticsNY.com) with inside players. They have a good track record.

[Utopia]

Oh no he's pro-choice, so he might offend a few here
Yeah ... and those loonies who are so hung up on abortion decided to stay at home and not vote for him gave us Hillary instead ... If we had Lazio in the Senate, we'd also have our judges .. including Pickering, even with the Jeffords defection.

The abortion crowd causes so much damage.

[jwalsh07]

Prior to the Presidential election, Tuco promised he would never post again at FR if Bush won.

[Clemenza]

1. Immigration. Nassau county is no longer Blue collar whites and Country Club republicans. 2. The shift of Wealthy suburbs to the Democrats as sociali issue trump economic ones.

Your second point is well taken, rmlew. I think Torie is right, however, about blue collar whites in the northeast not voting for Bush. Remember that although there are now pockets of Salvadorans, West Indians, Koreans, etc. in both Nassau and Suffolk counties, they tend no to show up in the election rolls as few of them have registered. This has happened in Broward County, FL, where the Condo Commandos still dominate politics despite the increase of immigration into Broward over the past decade.

Torie was also correct in bringing up the "cultural" issue. Vinny and Rosalie hear a Texas accent and they say "that guy shur sound stoopid," without ever listening to themselves. If you look at the areas of Nassau, Suffolk and Middlesex County New Jersey that voted for Gore (I wish I still had the precinct by precinct map), you will see that Algore won the blue collar Catholic areas, albeit not as heavily as the Jewish or black areas in the first two counties I mentioned.

[Clemenza]

Yeah ... and those loonies who are so hung up on abortion decided to stay at home and not vote for him gave us Hillary instead ... If we had Lazio in the Senate, we'd also have our judges .. including Pickering, even with the Jeffords defection.

The abortion crowd causes so much damage.

It wasn't just abortion. Lazio came across as a lightweight and ran a lousy campaign based on "I'm from New York and I'm not Hillary." Let's also not forget Lazio's sloppy attempt to win the Jewish vote with those Hillary/Arafat ads (yeah Ricky, like the Jews in Scarsdale and Larchmont were ever going to vote for you anyway!). Let's not forget that Hillary did better with voters upstate, while Lazio seemed rather stif when he was up there. The retired steel workers in Buffalo preferred Hillary to Loozio because she campaigned better among them.

GOP must have a moritorium on candidates from Lawn Guyland, although Loozio was not as gross as D'Amato.

[GraniteStateConservative]

History is against winning House seats. It would put Bush in the same league as FDR who won House seats the first midterm of his first year.

[1Old Pro]

While Rick Lazio may not look to be the very picture of a conservative in Montana or Texas, he is remarkably far removed from the fever-swamp type of liberal that seems to prevade much of New York State politics.

Yep, I'm rooting for Rick.

[Tuco-bad]

The worst news is that this will get tuco-bad posting like crazy.

Who me?

BTW - I haven't decided yet if I'll go after Lazio if he runs for Congress, as I don't like his opponent Steve Israel either.

[Tuco-bad]

Tuco can't post, he promised!

Sometimes, even I sin.

[Tuco-bad]

When did he promise? He made a couple of anti-Lazio posts yesterday on a thread about the Illinois race between O'Malley and Ryan, Torie is my witness! Puzzled some of the Illinois types considerably.

October 2000.

The Lazio point I was making in the O'Malley/Ryan race was that Bush will not be campaigning for Lazio.

[Tuco-bad]

I can practically guarantee that Tuco will post on this thread, invited or not. Tuco's got this very weird obsession with Rick Lazio. The fact that he was babbling on about Lazio on an unrelated thread dedicated to Illinois candidates only reinforces that point.

Gee - that wasn't a difficult gurantee to make.

See post #93 about why I posted to the Illinois race.

See

[Clemenza]

Tuco, I thought that you would like Lazio since he hired so many McCain people. I think we can both agree that Ricky ran a lousy campaign, although I think he can knock off Israel over in Suffolk County.

I would LOVE to see this headline: Lazio Destroys Israel!

[Tuco-bad]

Prior to the Presidential election, Tuco promised he would never post again at FR if Bush won.

How many times do I have to state?

Even I sin sometimes.

[Tuco-bad]

I would LOVE to see this headline: Lazio Destroys Israel!

Our Arab "friends" will be rejoicing and shooting their guns in the air on that headline.

[KC_Conspirator]

I hope Hillary campaigns for Israel.

She's too busy kissing Suha Arafat. :-)

[areafiftyone]

Lazio=RINO

Face it - A true Conservative Republican will never win big in this state. It just is not a Conservative State. It never will be no matter how much we make fun of it. We have to take the Rhinos when we can get them and stop complaining about them. You can make fun of the Rhinos all you want but I would rather have them than a Democreep any day.

[stanz]

YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm ready.