|
 |
Giuliani,
Clinton look for Independence Party backing
|
| MARC
HUMBERT, The Associated Press |
April
30, 2000 |
|
| CHEEKTOWAGA
-- Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, while courting the
support of the New York wing of the Reform Party, told its
members Saturday she wouldn't share a ticket with Pat
Buchanan. |
''I
cannot and will not, as the price for any endorsement, embrace
or excuse those who use hateful rhetoric to separate and
divide,'' the first lady told about 100 members of the
Independence Party gathered at a suburban Buffalo hotel for a
forum with Senate candidates.
In a separate appearance at the forum, Clinton's
cancer-stricken Senate rival, Rudolph Giuliani, said he would
announce before the end of May whether he would stay in the
Senate race.
''I promise you that I'll make a decision long before you have
to make a decision ... and I hope that decision is that I can
run,'' the New York City mayor said.
The Independence Party's state convention, at which it may
select a Senate nominee, is to be held in late May or early
June.
But it was Clinton who stole the show as she criticized some
of the party membership for cozying up to conservative
Buchanan's presidential campaign.
Clinton made a direct slap at Lenora Fulani, a former leader
of the New Alliance Party, who has become a major force in New
York's Independence Party. Clinton said: ''If this party
allows itself to become defined by the anti-Semitism,
extremism, prejudice and intolerance of a few shrill voices of
both the right and the left, you will be doing yourselves and
our state a great disservice.''
Fulani, a Buchanan backer, called Clinton's description of her
''slanderous.''
Fulani also told reporters that the party didn't need advice
from Clinton about who to select as its presidential nominee
and said ''that's her problem,'' when asked about the first
lady's refusal to share a ticket with Buchanan.
The appearance at the Independence Party forum marked
Giuliani's second day of campaigning since he announced
Thursday that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and
said his continuing in the Senate race would depend on the
treatment of his disease. He said the cancer had been detected
early and was treatable. He told about 1,000 cheering
Republicans on Friday night in Saratoga Springs that he wanted
to stay in the race.
That was his message again Saturday at a morning meeting with
Republican leaders at a Buffalo restaurant, at the forum and
in a later news conference.
''I would like to run, I'm prepared to do it ... but there's
this other thing that I have to consider,'' he said.
Nonetheless, the New York City mayor has already begin cutting
back on his schedule to deal with his medical problems. He
canceled Law Day speeches in Syracuse and Rochester that had
been scheduled for Monday to accommodate medical appointments.
Referring repeatedly to Sen. John McCain in his remarks to the
Independence Party members, many of whom admire the Arizona
Republican, said ''if you're looking for a candidate that can
be honestly described as an independent ... I think we're a
natural fit,'' Giuliani said.
He noted that he supported many of the party's government
reform goals, including term limits for elected officials.
''In fact, the reason I am here talking about running for the
Senate is because I'm term limited. I'm out of a job in a year
and a half,'' the mayor said.
The Buchanan-Fulani coalition has been much on the minds of
both Clinton and Giuliani.
''She definitely does not represent my philosophy, nor does
Pat Buchanan,'' the mayor told about 100 fellow Republicans at
the Buffalo restaurant.
On top of it all, the Independence Party in New York appears
even more the victim of rival factions than the national
Reform Party. On Wednesday, a state judge reinstated Jack
Essenberg as party chairman, overturning his earlier ouster by
Fulani and others in the party. Essenberg said Friday that he
would rather leave the Independence Party presidential line
blank than have Buchanan as the candidate.
While Essenberg's opponents had organized the Senate forum, he
said he was happy it was being held and showed up at the event
that was being run by the court-ousted chairman, Frank MacKay.
There is a possibility that Independence Party convention
delegates could authorize a Sept. 12 primary that would
feature both Giuliani and Clinton. The mayor said he would
welcome that and predicted he would beat her in such a test.
The first lady refused to take a position on such a primary.
''It's the Wild West,'' MacKay said Saturday of the feelings
within the party about who the Senate candidate should be.
''It's completely up in the air.''
The attraction of third-party nominations is strong in New
York when candidates expect a close race. Polls show the
Clinton-Giuliani race is just that. Unlike other states, New
York allows major party candidates to also run on third-party
ballot lines and combine their vote totals.
In 1994, Republican George Pataki beat Democratic incumbent
Mario Cuomo in the governor's race on the strength of the
Conservative Party vote.
This year, the Independence Party became New York's third
largest political party. As of March 1, it had more than
172,471 members. The Conservative Party fell into fourth place
with 171,496 members. Both are dwarfed by the Democratic (4.96
million members) and the Republican (3.09 million members)
parties.
In 1998, the line brought more than 109,000 extra votes to
Democrat Charles Schumer as he beat Republican incumbent
Alfonse D'Amato in the U.S. Senate race.
|
|
|
|
News
Sports
