Look hard before you leap

Thomas R. Suozzi


Nassau Leader Considers Run Against Spitzer, Pleasing G.O.P.

By PATRICK D. HEALY and BRUCE LAMBERT
Published: June 2, 2005

The general assumption among New York Democrats is that Attorney General Eliot Spitzer will be the party's candidate for governor next year. He announced his bid in December and has been busy raising millions and building alliances to reclaim the office for the Democrats for the first time in 12 years.

But, to the delight of Republicans and annoyance of Spitzer allies, another Democrat has recently confided to prominent party members that he is preparing to run, arguing that his profile as a suburban Italian Catholic moderate and reform-minded Albany outsider would make him a strong candidate in both New York's cities and suburbs.

That Democrat is Thomas R. Suozzi, the Nassau County executive, who defied most expectations with his upset victory in 2001 in a Republican stronghold. Mr. Suozzi has told friends and allies that he believes support for Mr. Spitzer's candidacy is shallow.

While Mr. Suozzi says he has not made a final decision, the idea of challenging Mr. Spitzer, whose political camp wants to avoid such a primary fight, is revealing about Mr. Suozzi's calculations.

Casting aside urban liberalism, Mr. Suozzi is making the case that the party's future is in suburbs, where he has used his county seat as a pulpit for such statewide issues as reining in property taxes and Medicaid costs.

Many New Yorkers have never heard of Mr. Suozzi, but he is well known, and
controversial, among Democratic Party elders and county machine leaders who are crucial in any statewide race.

He began the year with $3.2 million in his political account, less than half of Mr. Spitzer's war chest, and has been laying the groundwork for a statewide race by giving speeches across upstate, deepening ties with other county leaders, being the host of political events and donating to Democrats far beyond Long Island.

Mr. Suozzi has also consciously portrayed himself as a reformer in the mold of Theodore Roosevelt, a hero of his, by founding the Fix Albany political action committee, a vehicle for criticizing both Republican and Democratic leaders for political gridlock, partisan sniping and, until this spring, more than two decades of late state budgets.

"Tom is extremely ambitious and is doing just about everything he can to move up the ladder beyond Nassau, that's for sure," said Mario M. Cuomo, the former governor, who is close to Mr. Suozzi and his politically powerful family, including his father, Joseph, a former state judge

If Tom Suozzi wants to commit political suicide, that is his right, but he should talk to Andy Cuomo first. Because he almost ruined his career running against Carl McCall.

The best thing for him to do is lay low or run for Lieutenant Governor, not challenge Spitzer, who will club him over his head with his "abortion compromise". Spitzer and NARAL will run him into the ground. While abortion is a toss in New Jersey, a NARAL attack on Suozzi would doom his candidacy. Abortion rights is so important in New York, even the GOP is pro-abortion and there is a seperate Right to Life party.

Suozzi would do well to not let his ambition get ahead of his common sense.

If he thinks Spitzer's support is shallow, I would invite him to test that theory. I think he will find it lacking when he tries it. New York Democrats want someone who is going to fight, not try and make deals. There is NO question about Spitzer's ability to fight. Suozzi seems willing to cut deals. So if he wants to run and get hammered like Dennis Vacco, that is his right. But a wise man would look elsewhere.

Oh yeah, Spitzer is extremely popular with the city's minority politicians, Suozzi would have to either break some off or win on the Island and Upstate.

And his theory that the party's future is in the suburbs is fucking idiotic, considering that a third of New York's voters, and close to 40 percent of it's Democrats live in New York City.

posted by Steve @ 11:18:00 AM