Republican: Trump May Run for N.Y. Gov.

Washington Post ^ | 12/31/2005 | The Associated Press

[sittnick]

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Donald Trump is considering running for governor, a leading Republican said Friday. Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno on Thursday suggested that a big-name candidate could be flirting with entering the 2006 contest. On Friday, he confirmed to News Channel 10 in Albany that he had been referring to Trump.

Bruno told the station he had spoken to the real estate developer and TV personality about a possible run.

Trump's office in New York had no immediate comment. State GOP Executive Director Ryan Moses said neither he nor state party Chairman Stephen Minarik have had discussions with Trump about running.

Said Frank MacKay, state chairman of the Independence Party: "(Trump) is a formidable candidate for anything he decides to run for. We would love to see him run for president of the United States in 2008 as a third-party candidate. I'd do what I could to help give him a strong base here in New York and everywhere else in the country."

Trump flirted with a run for president on the Reform Party ticket in 2000. He has given money to Republicans and Democrats in state races.

[AmericanChef]

The first act as gub'ner: Rename NY "Trumpland".

[Socratic]

The dude needs a serious makeover.

I'm sure he invented the "do" as a power trick. People unconsiously focus on the mop and miss direct eye contact which would reveal his inner vapidness.

[Vaquero]

If he is a Republican, he is a pro choice, anti gun, anti smoking one.

Dont we have enough RINO's here in NY?

[Vaquero]

Hey, I rather have Trump then Spitzer as Governor NOT ME!!!!! here is a piece I wrote about our current RINO that explains why: 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)

[StAnDeliver]

"And Spitzer MUST be stopped."

Exactly. And Trump will beat Spitzer like a gong.

[goresalooza]

"his inner vapidness."

LMAOOOOOOO you are so right! You are a keen observer of the Donald. He's all about nothing! LOL

[StAnDeliver]

"Probably the best shot the GOP has of keeping the governor's chair."

That, and more. Spitzer is the chief kneepadder in the Friends of Hillary cabal. Spitzer's defeat is a major blow to Her Heinous -- what's the point of being a FOH if it costs you your current job (Atty. Gen.) and can't move you up the ladder (Gov.)? Dire implications for Hillary in 2008.

Those who say Trump is no better than Spitzer are delusional. Spitzer is a black-hearted SOB who regularly threatens to use the power of his office against his opponents.

NEW YORK—"In July of 2000, Spitzer defamed then-Congressman Bob Barr by erroneously alleging that Barr had fathered an illegitimate child.

During a debate with WABC-NY's Sean Hannity and "Hillary Trap" author Laura Ingraham, New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer claimed that Georgia Congressman Bob Barr had once fathered a child out of wedlock. "Spitzer later admitted he had no evidence to back up the charge."

ALBANY—Top New York Republicans have called for a formal investigation into allegations that Attorney General Eliot Spitzer threatened a man who wrote an editorial critical of Spitzer’s conduct.

According to the New York Post, both Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Rensselaer) and state Republican Chairman Stephen Minarik have urged that a formal investigation be launched into claims by John Whitehead, “one of the most respected figures on Wall St,” that Spitzer telephoned Whitehead and threatened him after Whitehead wrote an editorial about Spitzer in the Wall St. Journal.

A furious Spitzer tracked him down in Texas last spring after he authored an earlier piece in defense of former American International Group CEO Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, who was being investigated by Spitzer for corporate fraud. Citing notes he said he took during the telephone conversation, Whitehead quoted Spitzer as saying, "Mr. Whitehead, it's now a war between us and you've fired the first shot . . . I will be coming after you. You will pay the price."

[montag813]

Good point! I don't think a true conservative can even run in NY state, for any office. All the GOPers are libnuts at heart. Pataki is no exception. They are all RINOs, basically.

The nice thing about businessmen in office is that they are not beholden to special interests and can do as they like. Spitzer was the one who tried to shut down all Christian crisis preganacy centers at the behest of Planned Parenthood. Bush and the GOP pushed through a bad bankruptcy bill at the behest of MNBA, and Bush has refused to secure the border or deport illegals because of sustained pressure from big businesses who employ them. Trump could not care less what anybody said. The worst he would do is setup a bunch of casinos with update NY Indians. I do like what I heard him said about Iraq and Mark Felt on Linda Vesters show this year. He said anyone who said we should cut and run from Iraq was a coward and un-American. And he said that Mark Felt should be arrested by the FBI right now... "I don't care how old he is...throw him in jail". Sounds like his heart is in the right place. I don't know how he feels about abortion, but cannot possibly be worse than Mrs. Pataki, who is a disgusting vampire, having raised MILLIONS for the abortion lobby.

[fhayek]

Trump/Spitzer. What a choice. But I cannot stomach that weaselly, business-hating Spitzer.

[goresalooza]

"The nice thing about businessmen in office is that they are not beholden to special interests and can do as they like"

Bush has his undergrad degree from Yale and an MBA from Harvard, don't forget :)

Trump is a pure RINO, nothing more. For sure he's better than Spitzer but it's NY. They will never have anyone who a conservative..it's always RINO or a fullblown rat in office.

[Alberta's Child]

I think Trump would make a great governor in New York. He's basically a high-profile con artist who probably wouldn't take the job seriously enough to be dangerous for New Yorkers.

Professional politicians have run the place into the ground, so they may as well take the next step and elect what I call a "clown candidate" to office.

[Trajan88]

Trump = tool.

[dennisw]

New York State is as relentlessly liberal as California. Donald Trump would get rolled over same as happened to Arnold Schwarzenegger. But no one can predict the future, I wish Trump good luck if he runs and wins

[dennisw]

Spitzer was the one who tried to shut down all Christian crisis preganacy centers at the behest of Planned Parenthood.

Thanks I never heard this. One more reason to wary of this hyperactive lunatic. Elliott Spitzer came from a very rich family.

[don-o]

I never "got" Trump. Booorrrring.

[jimfree]

Political Apprentice?

[RandDisciple]

My fear is that if Hillary runs for President she will secretly recruit a third party candidate to run and siphon off Rep. votes. She is not one to take chances and she knows that husband Bill would not have won had it not been for Perot taking 19% of the white vote away.

Trump would be a perfect candidate for her who could afford a third party presidential run in return for "large favors" later from a President Hillary.

[birbear]

Trump would be a perfect candidate for her who could afford a third party presidential run in return for "large favors" later from a President Hillary.

Hmm... Based on what I've seen of some of the repub candidates, I'd be likely to vote for a Trump third party. (esp. if the Repub choice was a McCain or a Guiliani.)

And I disagree with your assessment of 1992. Bush lost the race hands down. He would have lost it without Perot. Perot gave a reason for more voters to come to the polls in the first place, had he dropped out (and stayed out), a lot of voters wouldn't have come to the polls.

George H. W. Bush lost my vote during the debates. He was tired, and didn't really want a second term.

[montag813]

Trump is a pure RINO, nothing more.

I don't recall a single RINO calling for the arrest of Mark Felt.

[festus]

If Donald Trump runs on the GOP ticket that would make me really consider voting for darn near ANYONE else if I lived in NY.