Faso sounds his key points

BY MELANIE LEFKOWITZ | Newsday Staff Writer

October 13, 2006

It was his last best chance, and he came out swinging.

John Faso, the Republican candidate for governor, stuck to the script in sounding his signature themes in last night's second and final debate with Democratic front-runner Eliot Spitzer: lower property taxes, lower business taxes and lower income taxes.

"It's time we put the family budget ahead of the state budget," Faso said more than once.

He didn't lose his temper or his cool, but he took a hard line against Spitzer, whom he challenged to denounce State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, faulted for being "asleep at the switch" on prosecuting Medicaid fraud and accused of flouting campaign finance rules by accepting millions of dollars from his father.

He called Spitzer "timid," yet also charged that he "used bluster and intimidation to get his way as attorney general."

"Mr. Spitzer just doesn't get it," he said, also more than once.

Faso, who is trailing Spitzer by double digits in the polls even among Republicans and has raised just a fraction of the funds amassed by the attorney general, badly needed to hit a home run in last night's fairly sedate debate. He tried, by swinging at Spitzer about his big-money donors; about spending plans that he says will lead to even higher taxes; and about Hevesi, who had to repay the state $82,000 after it was disclosed that a state driver was chauffeuring his wife.

If Hevesi was a corporate bigwig, Faso said, Spitzer "would be on the steps with a press release berating him; but no, he's a political ally, so he can't muster up the strength to say a thing."

Spitzer at times laughed or smiled over Faso's attacks, but refused to rise to the bait on most issues, particularly about Hevesi. He did finally snap back by dismissing his opponent as "angry" and "extreme."

"The anger from the other side is unfortunate," Spitzer said. "I thought we were going to have an honest discussion of issues here."