Blakeman hasn't given up his day jobs - yet

In a TV ad for his short-lived New York City mayoral run last year, Bruce Blakeman included a pitch from his "talking" pet dog. This time, he says, the pooch is "temporarily retired."

Not so for Blakeman himself - not yet, anyway. Before announcing his U.S. Senate candidacy Sunday in Valley Stream, Blakeman told Newsday it remains to be worked out with partners and clients what if any role he may still play in his businesses as the campaign gears up.

"We are discussing it," Blakeman, 54, said Friday. "Basically I will still be performing some legal services for some clients" at the Lake Success firm where he is a partner: Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Greenberg, Formato & Einiger.

Partner Howard Fensterman, who has raised funds for such Democrats as Sen. Charles Schumer and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, will head "Democrats for Blakeman," the candidate told supporters Sunday.

Regarding Madison Strategies, the consulting firm he launched in 2000, Blakeman said: "I have not made a decision yet. I do anticipate that [running] will be a full-time, 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week job. We're going to . . . talk about it and make a decision within the next few weeks."

Blakeman practices real estate, commercial litigation, transportation, finance and insurance law. His consulting clients include "financial institutions, real estate development firms, service industry businesses, and other companies," his law-firm bio states.

NO WRONG DOOR: Suffolk County Executive Steve Levyannounced Jan. 6 he would complain to the state Public Integrity Commission that a group consisting mainly of Latino legislators violated the public officers' law by warning that supporters of Levy for governor would be deemed "persona non grata" on "issues decided by state-level lawmakers."

The commission, however, doesn't cover the legislature.

A leading Levy detractor, Assemb. Phil Ramos (D-Central Islip), said: "If Steve Levy has aspirations to become governor, you'd think he'd first learn how the government works."

Ramos disputed Levy's earlier claim that the assemblyman and others could perhaps choke off grants for certain nonprofits for political reasons. Nonprofits cannot support candidates, and the Assembly lacks such authority, Ramos said.

"He is just out of control," Ramos said.

Levy campaign spokeswoman Rene Babich said Levy believes a potentially criminal threat was issued - and will notify the Legislative Ethics Commission, the Albany district attorney and possibly others.