Levy's themes resonate with state's Conservatives

COLONIE, N.Y.

Would-be Gov. Steve Levy stood at a podium here Monday and proved in a short time he could sound politically correct by the standard of the state Conservative Party's political action conference.

Departing toward the end of his address from its stated theme of "Why a Democrat should be a fiscal conservative," the second-term Suffolk County executive said, "If there's anything that bugs me it's the blame-America-first crowd. It's the officials who go around apologizing for everything that is America . . ."

Suddenly somebody called out, "The president!"

"Well, it's a lot of people," Levy replied quickly. ". . . It's a lot of groups out there who think we're the bad guys . . . When I was in political science 101 in Stony Brook University I had one of our professors, one of those communist professors - there were many of them, and I'm not making that up - who came out the first day [and said] as a matter of moral equivalency there were no good guys or bad guys in international politics, just national self-interest."

"And I thought to myself, 'Were my uncles who were at the Battle of the Bulge not on the side of the good guys who were fighting the tyrants who were trying to exterminate people? Was it not America, the good guys, who were fighting Stalin who was trying to destroy millions of people as well?' "

Levy had just outlined his state program: Declare a fiscal emergency. Use the kind of impartial panels that determined military-base and hospital closures. Set a true budget deadline. Sensibly restructure education aid.

In what resembled a mesh of the rhetorical styles of ex-New York City mayors Ed Koch and Rudy Giuliani, Levy told governmental war stories in which he portrayed his statements and stances as clear and logical, and those of his critics or opponents were, of course, crazed.

Levy gave a triumphant account of how he resisted spending county funds on hiring halls that illegal immigrants would use - and was vilified as a "hatemonger." "This political correctness has got to end! It's out of control," he exclaimed. He touted his warnings of layoffs if unions didn't make financial concessions. He talked of a good economy being the best program for the poor. Why a Democrat? He told of how his father, a Democrat, advised him to always remember the middle-class and working-class people that policies affect.

"He did good," said Ed Walsh, the Suffolk Conservative chairman who's had his ups and downs with Levy.

During this two-day conclave, you'd hear varying private guesses about Levy's candidacy: Stalking horse for Andrew Cuomo. Waiting for Rick Lazio's campaign to collapse. GOP chairman Ed Cox likes his $4 million in the bank.

Would he run for comptroller or attorney general? "Probably not," Levy told reporters after the speech. "This is a fun experience for me . . . I have a lot to say when it comes to running a government."