ALBANY - The state Conservative Party is standing by its man, Rick Lazio - and would rather lose the governor's race than see Tea Party favorite Carl Paladino win it.

Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long has slammed Paladino's "hateful rhetoric" and praised Lazio's intention to tackle an "out-of-control" Legislature.

He's hoping conservatives and moderate Republicans are repulsed by the bomb-throwing Buffalo blow-hard.

Long knows that by backing Lazio, who lost last week to Paladino in the GOP primary but won the Conservative line, he's probably helping Democrat Andrew Cuomo.

But it's a practical matter of political survival for Long.

If the Conservatives don't pick up 50,000 votes in the gubernatorial election, they'll no longer have a guaranteed spot on the ballot.

For many moderate Republicans, there isn't an ulterior motive: They just don't like Paladino's political style.

Assemblyman Joel Miller (R-Poughkeepsie) is likely to back Cuomo, citing Paladino's "unacceptable approach to politics."

"We cannot give up being rational just because we are angry," he said.