Tea party supporters rally around candidates

Nearly everything said last night at a Bridgehampton "meet the candidates" forum sponsored by the East End tea party got applause from an enthusiastic audience.

Some applause was louder than others, and the wooden floor boards actually shook a bit when George Demos, who wants to run for Congress against incumbent Tim Bishop, was asked about illegal immigration and what he would do to stop it.

"Illegal immigration is illegal. It's that simple," Demos said.

While several invited candidates did not show up at the meeting, the most prominent who did was Carl Paladino, a millionaire lawyer and developer from upstate who is running for governor.

Paladino complained that Washington was in chaos, and New York's government makes Washington "look like choir boys." He pledged that he would serve only four years, and in his first year would cut taxes by 10 percent and state spending by 20 percent by reducing government.

"If it's unnecessary, it's gone," he said to applause.

Paladino did not once mention Rick Lazio, his September GOP primary opponent, in his speech. But he said that - when he is elected - he would raise tuition for out-of-state students in the state university system and would offer a tax holiday for businesses that invested money to expand and create jobs.

Like all of the other candidates who were asked about the 13-story mosque and Islamic cultural center being proposed two blocks from the site of the World Trade Center, he said he would not permit it to be built. "I will stop that project on Jan. 1, 2011," he said to applause.

Mary Meyers of Baiting Hollow, vice president of the Suffolk 9/12 project, said that all of the candidates on hand shared the views of her group. Her members are supporting Christopher Cox to run against Bishop.

Cox, a Republican from Westhampton Beach, said lobbyists have too much influence over both Republicans and Democrats in Washington, and praised Arizona for its strong stand against illegal immigration.