The postseason begins for governor's race

Rest assured, the adrenaline is running in the Andrew Cuomo campaign. Western New York Democrat-turned-Republican Carl Paladino, whose candidacy seemed like a joke two weeks ago, has stepped into the spotlight.

The postseason has begun. Earlier wins are for the books. The competition starts fresh.

In City Hall Park, Cuomo stood Wednesday beside Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-blank, for an endorsement. The last nominally Republican mayor to endorse a Cuomo for governor was Rudy Giuliani, 16 years ago. Republican George Pataki won.

Voters are angry and frustrated - for good reason, Bloomberg and Cuomo said.

"Anger is not a governing strategy," said Bloomberg.

"We can have an anger party and celebrate our anger," said Cuomo, or "actually have progress for the state. We can use the energy and bring it to a positive place."

Paladino, a millionaire real estate developer, has already slammed bigger-fish billionaire Bloomberg. As governor, he says, he'd use eminent domain to seize the private property in lower Manhattan that could house an Islamic center.

As you'd expect, Paladino spokesman Michael Caputo ridiculed the endorsement: "We knew it would chafe the mayor-for-life when Carl Paladino announced eight-year term limits as a vital plank in his anti-corruption agenda." State term limits wouldn't affect the city, of course, which votes on them again this Election Day, but why quibble with a sound bite?

Beyond the racist e-mails and other controversies - which did not stop him in the GOP primary - Paladino has already had an absurd stumble. On Tuesday, he named a panel of economic advisers - an announcement that blew up as it emerged he didn't bother to ask the "appointees" first, even if they're mostly from his home Erie County.

Then Cuomo had a foot-in-mouth moment. Cuomo said something at his news conference that he later retracted - that he has voted for Bloomberg. "He misspoke," said spokesman Josh Vlasto soon afterward. "He was only registered to vote in New York City in 2005 when he endorsed [Democratic candidate] Freddy Ferrer. As he said today, he thinks the mayor is doing a good job."

Cuomo predictably sidestepped addressing Bloom-berg's past fights with the State Legislature over Manhattan tolls and restoring a suburban commuter tax.

More notably, Bloomberg discussed at the end of the news conference how he thinks Cuomo will do a great job - and that so will Republican Dan Donovan as attorney general and Republican Harry Wilson as comptroller.

Asked whether he regretted not having replied to Paladino's shots, Cuomo said: "The campaign is all of three or four days old."