Republicans in New York?
by Tim Sullivan

All conservatives and Republicans should read the quotes below from a New York daily News interview carefully and let it all sink in. The Daily News Editorial Board spoke with GOP Rep. Pete King of Long Island about the election results.

Question: New York Republicans suffered defeats at every political level, including the presidential race, U.S. Senate, Congress, the state Senate and the Assembly. Where did it all go wrong?

Answer: The Republican Party is not a viable force in this state. We have no organization statewide. We don't project a coherent message. We're not running with any party philosophy.

How did it fall apart?

We got away from party building. Once, we went about building the party block by block, precinct by precinct. That's how [former state party chairman] Bill Powers did it. He built it up from local organizations.

Why did your U.S. Senate candidate, Howard Mills, lose to incumbent Chuck Schumer in a record landslide?

At the statewide level, we don't groom candidates and develop a farm system. We just shoot right for the big jobs.

Even that didn't help. Schumer won 71% to 25%.

You don't let an opponent beat you 3 to 1. If you do put candidates out there, you have to raise money and support for them. Instead, candidates are put out there and nothing's done for them. It's every man for himself.

Every man for himself?

For example, in this election, some Republican state senators were saying to people favoring John Kerry, "After you vote for President, come vote for me." Those senators didn't care that votes were going to Kerry as long as they got reelected.

Your party lost judgeships in once strongly Republican Westchester and Nassau counties. What's going on?

For races like judges, where no one knows any of the candidates, it all comes down to party identification. And we're losing ground.

As head of the party, what is Gov. Pataki's responsibility?

Everyone has responsibility. We all have responsibility for letting it flounder for the last few years.

Does that include Pete King?

Yes, I share responsibility.

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