The straight dope, what Rice and LI pols said in 2006

A version of this story appeared in Newsday on July 31, 2006, as part of the political column Spin Cycle.

During last week's Democratic primary debate for governor, candidates Thomas Suozzi and Eliot Spitzer, confronted with the yes-or-no question of whether they had ever smoked marijuana, answered in the affirmative.

In 2002, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg replied, "Yes - and I enjoyed every minute of it," forgoing a Clintonesque claim in the 1990s of not having inhaled.

Some pundits say that with President George W. Bush, a reformed substance abuser, serving his second term, the pot question has long since lost its mystique. Long Island's countywide officials were asked the same question, and here are their responses:

NASSAU

County Executive Thomas Suozzi YES

Presiding Officer Judy Jacobs NO

County Assessor Harvey Levinson NO

County Clerk Maureen O'Connell NO

District Attorney Kathleen Rice YES

SUFFOLK COUNTY

County Executive Steve Levy REFUSES TO ANSWER

Presiding Officer Bill Lindsay REFUSES TO ANSWER

Minority Leader Daniel Losquadro NO

Sheriff Vincent DeMarco NO

Treasurer Angie Carpenter NO

County Clerk Judith Pascale NO

District Attorney Thomas Spota REFUSES TO ANSWER

UNAVAILABLE

Nassau County minority leader Peter Schmitt, Nassau County Comptroller Howard Weitzman and Suffolk County Comptroller Joseph Sawicki Jr. were not available for comment.