Cuomo, surrogates speak to diversity, attack GOP

The symbolism of this brief but exuberant convention moment was as subtle as a gavel rapping on your head: By arrangement of the Cuomo-for-governor campaign, Suffolk Legis. Vivian Viloria-Fisher (D-East Setauket) stood on the platform before cheering delegates at the Rye Town Hilton to deliver a seconding speech.

One day after it became clear that Andrew Cuomo was likely to head an all-white ticket for state office, Viloria-Fisher Thursday introduced herself as a "Dominican-born Suffolk County legislator" before speaking of how Cuomo "has the vision to . . . respect our differences and understand our shared concerns."

As campaign surrogate of the moment, Viloria-Fisher spoke of the well-known public dismay over property taxes - then took her best-prepared shots at Cuomo's two most likely GOP challengers, Rick Lazio and Steve Levy, both of whom have deep roots in her county.

"You may have heard that there are a couple of candidates in the other party, from Suffolk County," she said, prompting the predictable boos. "Well, actually, they're arguing about whether one of them is a member of their party." Predictable "yays" followed that slap at Levy's recent party-switch to run for governor.

"But when they do find time to talk about property taxes, that's what they do - talk. One of the candidates says he has a great fiscal plan," she said, before citing a published report that suggested "budgetary smoke and mirrors compromised public safety." The rhetorical target, of course, was Levy's tenure as Suffolk executive.

"The other candidate, with his million-dollar Wall Street bonus, doesn't have much time to spend worrying about property taxes the way average families in Suffolk County do," she said, implicitly, of Rick Lazio. "There is only one person in this race who understands the needs of real people, Andrew Cuomo" - who would curb taxes by consolidating government.

In his speech nominating Cuomo, William C. Thompson Jr., who was New York City's first African-American comptroller, hailed the current attorney general as someone who gets things done.

And Cuomo, in his acceptance speech, warned against "those who would try to divide us" along racial, geographic and economic lines. "The Statue of Liberty stands in our harbor. We are the welcome mat for the nation," he said.

At the same time, State and Nassau Democratic chairman Jay Jacobs, wary of the politics of the day, also appeared not to want to give critics of illegal immigration an opening: "Nobody wants a process without appropriate documentation. But this is also about respecting and understanding these are human beings - that everyone deserves respect.

"I'm personally a little tired of listening to folks on the right wing, and some friends of mine in the Republican Party, who like to use that issue to divide and create support for themselves to gain power," Jacobs said.

For the moment, at the season's outset, Cuomo leads decisively in all polls. He's expected to show fatter fundraising than any competitor. The Republicans have been shut out of all major state power positions in the elections of recent years.

In light of the day's rhetoric, it seems that the Cuomo campaign team - acutely aware of how rapidly a politician's lead can vanish - is intent on getting the adrenaline pumping as people start to pay attention in earnest. As last year's low-turnout election results showed, incumbent candidates and parties can fall far and fast.

Those who care might want to fasten their seat belts. The Conservatives convene today, and the Republicans next week.