Albany buzz over Haley Barbour's role in guv race

Sixteen springs ago, Republican National Committee chairman Haley Barbour called on his New York colleagues to unite behind a challenger for the weakened Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo.

The RNC would prove a top backer of the state party's choice, little-known Peekskill Assemb. George Pataki, going on to orchestrate an upstate get-out-the vote drive that even the Democrats credited with turning the tide on Election Day.

Things seem different this spring, as Attorney General Andrew Cuomo enjoys 2-1 polling leads over the Republican field in a governor's race he has yet to enter.

But Barbour, the governor of Mississippi and now leading the Republican Governors Association, is once again the subject of Albany buzz, after Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy boasted in interviews that the RGA had recruited him to run against the younger Cuomo, offering $8 million to $10 million for the race if he, and not former Rep. Rick Lazio, is the nominee.

That aid was proffered by RGA Executive Director Nick Ayers, Levy said, during a closed-door meeting at which he and state party chairman Ed Cox were present.

Barbour denied to the Associated Press that his organization had pledged any sums in the New York governor's race, and said the RGA is neutral on the nominee. Neither Cox nor Ayers has commented.

"Rationale for Steve Levy's Candidacy Collapses," the Lazio campaign promptly blared. "Steve Levy is nothing more than a political con artist caught in his own con."

But political denials are an art form. Barbour didn't deny that the meeting took place, or that Ayers urged Levy to run, or even that he dangled millions in possible campaign support. "They are hedging in case Lazio wins [the nomination] here - they don't want to be the ones who backed the loser," one Republican operative said.

What's undisputed is that Barbour has scented another good year for his party, announcing that the RGA will pour $65 million into some of the 37 governor's races around the country - wherever its money seems likely to make a difference.

Governors play a powerful role in national politics, especially this year, when they have a hand in once-a-decade redistricting that could tip the odds in key Congressional races and thus the balance of power in the House and Senate.

And the RGA has played a key role in recent upset victories: In New Jersey last summer, for instance, it poured $7.3 million into a big media buy that aided Chris Christie during a period when his acceptance of public financing prevented him matching the spending of wealthy incumbent Gov. John Corzine.

But New York, where Democrats enjoy a 5-3 enrollment edge and Cuomo is far ahead, is not one of the states the RGA is calling competitive.

"People don't come into New York State, because it's viewed as a deep-blue state," said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director of the League of Women Voters. "Why would they spend their money on the governor's race?"

And yet: Nationwide, the electorate is tilting Republican this year. Suburban voters, Levy's strong suit, are pivotal in the shift. Though a Marist poll last week found New Yorkers more optimistic about the economy, the tea party movement, joblessness, and intense voter frustration over taxes have contributed to a volatile mood. And Cuomo's vulnerabilities are still unplumbed.

Levy has stuck by his story: "Nobody from the RGA has disputed Steve's statement," the campaign said last week. "However, from now on we will be respecting the wishes of the RGA and will not be commenting further on the conversation their representatives had with Steve about this race."