Cuomo: I won't engage in Paladino's 'gutter politics'

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Saturday that his opponent, Carl Paladino, has engaged in "gutter politics" and that he is proud to have taken the high road in their contest to be New York's next governor.

"These have been some truly negative, degrading comments, and I have worked very hard not to go there, as they say in the old neighborhood," said Cuomo, who grew up in Queens, after meeting with Latino leaders in a get-out-the-vote planning session on New York's Lower East Side.

Paladino said this week he has a "box" of evidence that Cuomo cheated on his former wife, Kerry Kennedy, though campaign sources have said they view the subject as unhelpful to their campaign and don't intend to pursue it.

"What I've tried to do most of all this past week is just not go there, not be dragged down, not succumb to it and frankly, I think I've done it," Cuomo said. "If he [Paladino] wants to go there, he's going to go there alone."

The political leaders representing New York's significant Latino voting bloc met with Cuomo to talk about how to mobilize their key segment of the Democratic base in a year when Republicans hold the edge in enthusiasm.

Cuomo also heard some grumbling that, in addition to heading an all-white ticket, he has no Hispanics on his top staff - a shortcoming his new campaign co-chair, Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-Brooklyn), pledged to address.

One theme that fired up the leaders Saturday was Paladino's pledge in a Newsday interview to instruct the State Police to enforce federal immigration laws "like they do in Arizona."

"Mr. Paladino, let me remind you that you're not running in Arizona. You're running in New York State," replied Velazquez to applause.

But an even more common theme at the event was Paladino's alleged unfitness to govern. Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. called the Buffalo businessman "a straight and utter nut job."

Paladino's campaign said Saturday that Cuomo's campaign has misled the public about debate plans, saying that the Democrat has "never contacted us as promised" to plan a debate and is seeking to exclude minor-party candidates.

Asked about the issue, Cuomo told reporters, "We're working through it, we will have a debate, and I'm looking forward to it."