Henican: Steve Levy gives up the ghost

Steve Levy is lucky he has such high self-esteem.

Otherwise, he'd be feeling pretty bummed this weekend. Nothing is turning out like the Suffolk County executive planned.

State Republican leaders were certain to pick him as their inside candidate for governor. Only they didn't.

Then, he was sure he'd get their prized party ballot line in an easy vote at the state convention. Uh, not quite. The Long Island Democrat-turned-Republican was squeezed between old-line favorite Rick Lazio and Buffalo rich guy Carl Paladino.

It was down to Levy's final play. He could gather 15,000 signatures and run in November as an independent. Why not?

Well, on Friday, the tough-to-discourage county exec announced he was giving up that ghost and endorsing his closest-to-home nemesis, Lazio.

So what's waiting now on the horizon for the noncandidate of 2010? Having abandoned the Democrats and not quite charmed the Republicans, it's hard to see exactly what larger stage he can work his magic on anytime soon.

He put his lingering state ambitions in fundamental local terms.

"We on Long Island were hurt badly when the clout previously held with a majority bloc of Republican senators was eviscerated due to the change in leadership within the Senate," he said. "Our need for taxpayer relief was severely hampered. That is why I will be working to maintain the need for checks and balances on the state level by promoting many of the candidates who will give Suffolk County a greater voice in state government."

Translation: I'll figure it out later. Please don't forget me by then.

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E-mail ellis@henican.com.

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ELLIS' LONG ISLANDER OF THE WEEK

TRANSIT RIDERS

The LIRR's facing major cutbacks. Long Island Bus is truly on the critical list. The budgets for both public-transit agencies are being whacked just as the economy may actually be reviving and their services are needed most. But day in and day out, a couple of hundred thousand Long Islanders keep riding the buses and trains: Keeping cars off the highways. Saving energy. Doing their crucial part to pay for a system that this whole island of ours truly depends on. And hardly anyone ever says thanks. So thanks.