Paladino trying to move past allegation, feud

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. - As his campaign for governor attempts to return to its core message, Republican Carl Paladino Saturday told a tea party forum he had "moved beyond" his feud with a New York Post reporter and the allegations that Andrew Cuomo had an affair.

Down in the polls and urged by advisers to stick to issues, Paladino said he wasn't "angry" but rather "frustrated" by government inaction on cutting taxes, drilling for natural gas upstate and reining in Medicaid spending. "The people are frustrated," he said at an outdoor forum here to which organizers said Democrat Andrew Cuomo was also invited but declined to attend.

Paladino took written questions from the crowd, as posed by a moderator. An empty chair was placed on the dais for Cuomo. A Cuomo spokesman said Saturday Cuomo had agreed to debate Paladino and five other minor-party candidates on Oct. 18 in Hempstead.

Paladino's visit Saturday came as he tries to gain support in the New York City suburbs, where his campaign said he needs to win to capture the election. Polls show him down by double-digit margins downstate and recent efforts at fundraising have proved only marginally successful, campaign aides said.

Even tea party organizers were dismayed at the sparse crowd of 150 at the forum, blaming it in part on last-minute venue changes.

"This is not what we wanted. We wanted something much more professional," said Sheryl Thomas, who organized the event for the Orange Sullivan 912 tea party. "I'm not disappointed but I thought there would be more people considering the e-mail blitzing."

About 40 protesters from the local Democratic Party holding signs reading "Carl = Pay to Play" and "No to Carl" shouted at Paladino as he arrived in a gray sport utility vehicle. Tea party members shouted back as local police watched.

But Paladino did not respond and refused to be knocked off message. Asked by the moderator about medical marijuana, Paladino didn't state his position, saying it should go to a public referendum. He declined to take questions from the press afterward.