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Bruno: GOP might back Suozzi for governor

BY BRANDON BAIN | STAFF WRITER

March 6, 2006

New York state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is seen after a fundraiser at the Glen Oaks Country Club in Old Westbury. (Newsday / Karen Wiles Stabile / February 15, 2006)

As Nassau County Executive Thomas Suozzi appeared on the Sunday morning political talk circuit, State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said the Republican Party has toyed with the possibility of cross-endorsing the Democrat for governor in a primary against Attorney General Eliot Spitzer.

"There has been discussion about Tom Suozzi, not in any official way," he said on the CBS "Sunday Edition" program. "There is discussion about the possibility of crossover."

While Bruno has made similar comments before, they have taken on new meaning now that Suozzi is formally seeking the Democratic nod for governor.

"I don't know how likely that is. I frankly think it's very unlikely as a possibility," Bruno added moments before Suozzi appeared in a separate interview on the same program.

Still, Bruno said there are strong Republican contenders for governor, former New York State Assemblyman and minority leader John Faso, New York Secretary of State Randy Daniels and former Massachusetts Gov. William Weld.

But he said there is still speculation among state Republicans to back Suozzi, who is trailing Spitzer in several major polls.

Suozzi, also appearing in interviews yesterday on ABC and WB11, repeated that he would accept Republican support, but was a lifelong Democrat.

"I would not have won [Nassau County executive] had I not received thousands and thousands of Republican votes. I'll take anyone's support," said Suozzi, who did not directly say whether he would run on the Republican line.

To be cross-endorsed by the Republicans, Suozzi also would need to win 25 percent of the vote in the convention and approval from the Republican Party chairman and executive committee. State Republican Party officials could not be reached for comment.

Ryan Toohey, a spokesman for the Spitzer campaign, had no comment on Suozzi.

Spitzer, who is well ahead of Suozzi in the polls, has said he would accept neither the support of Republican Party leadership, nor the party's nomination, for governor. However, he has accepted and will continue to accept the endorsements of individual party members.

Some political insiders said that talk of Republicans cross-endorsing Suozzi is an apparent effort to damage Spitzer.

"He's trying to help out a fellow Italian," said Stanley Klein, a political science professor at C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University. "If Bruno came out for Suozzi, Bruno would lose his seat."

During the television program, Suozzi took the opportunity to tout his political agenda.

He said if elected, he would give New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg more control over Ground Zero. Suozzi also said that Spitzer failed to properly investigate Medicaid fraud, adding that he would use a percentage of the wasted funds and invest it in failing schools and reducing property taxes.

"I'm a chief executive and a manager and a government reformer. My opponent is a prosecutor and not a government reformer," he said.