Lazio Heckled By Paladinoites

GOP/Conservative gubernatorial candidte Rick Lazio was relentlessly heckled during a campaign stop in Orange County earlier today by Carl Paladino supporters furious over the former congressman’s refusal to debate his Republican primary opponent.

There were at least two Paladinoites on hand at the Lazio event – a man and a woman.

She yelled “debate Paladino” and “stop ducking” over and over. She was so loud that Lazio, who was clearly rattled, could at times barely be heard over her screeching. He even tried to incorporate her into his speech, saying that what Albany really needs is people to get angry and make themselves heard.

Lazio supporters (or perhaps staffers?) tried in vain to block the woman’s orange-and-black Paladino sign with red-white-and-blue Lazio signs. At the 4:14 mark, a guy in a suit tries to elbow her out of the way and she says: “If you push me, I will have you arrested.”

In the post-event Q&A, Lazio joked: “I’ve had worse, believe me,” adding:

“There’s a lot of big mouths out there, but we know what we have to do…we’re not going to be shouted down. We’re not going to let name-calling get in the way.”

Middletown Times Herald-Record reporter Steve Israel asked Lazio why he’s spending so much time talking about the mosque proposed near Ground Zero when it’s not an issue that impacts people outside NYC.

“This is an issue I think that transcends party,” Lazio responds. “It transcends geography. Other people are very concerned about the safety of New Yorkers….Wherever you live, people are concerned about the risk to our public safety as a result of radicalized elements and terrorism. And I think people, wherever you live, look at the area around the…site as hallowed ground.”

And this -

Lazio’s Twisted Debate Logic

LINK to article

At Rick Lazio’s Orange County campaign event today, YNN’s Doug Short asked the candidate (in between heckles) how he expects Democratic frontrunner Andrew Cuomo to accept a post-primary invitation to debate him – assuming he wins on Sept. 14 – if he won’t agree to go mano-a-mano with Carl Paladino.

“The general election is going to be here before we know it. We’re going to be talking about the fundamental differences between the two candidates,” Lazio responded.

“There are only, you know, in my mind there’s one, you know, there are two candidates.There’s only one candidate that’s the official designee of the Republican Party and the Conservative Party.”

“I won in a four-person convention by over 60 percent of the vote. The Republicans had a vetting process, they have spoken. The conservatives have as well.”

“We need to get on to the main event. And at that point we’re going to have, we’re going to have our debate with, with um, Andrew Cuomo. If he’ll debate.”

To which Short replies: “That doesn’t answer my question.” Indeed.

The hecklers – and reporters – followed Lazio to his car, yelling all the way. And then he got in and departed.