By Harold Egeln
Brooklyn Daily Eagle

BAY RIDGE – Perhaps nowhere in the city is the push for a Rudolph Giuliani 2010 race for governor stronger than in Brooklyn. This is where the borough Republican Party takes the statewide lead with its “Draft Rudy for Governor� bandwagon, for the as yet unannounced candidacy of the former mayor. The party hopes to bring dysfunctional Albany back into newly energized and reform-minded GOP hands.

At its annual Lincoln Dinner in May at the El Caribe Country Club, the Kings County Republican Party blew its horn for its “draft Giuliani� gubernatorial campaign. It previously honored the two-term mayor and one-time presidential candidate at the GOP’s 2008 dinner.

“The Kings County Republican Party overwhelmingly supports Rudy Giuliani as governor of the State of New York!� declared Brooklyn GOP Chair Craig Eaton at this year’s dinner, touting Giuliani’s experience, leadership and results. “Rudy’s popularity runs from Brooklyn to Buffalo.�

Republicans applauded enthusiastically. “Rudy’s election can help economic growth and prosperity and encourage the election of Republicans to take back the state legislature in 2010,� said Eaton, a Bay Ridge resident. “Rudy is the best candidate we have and we need to get him into office. After three years of Spitzer and Paterson, even diehard Democrats would vote for Giuliani.�

This was seen by the GOP as a rebound move for the party, stung by 2008 Democrat victories and as a remedy to set Albany right. Since the dinner Eaton has talked with county GOP leadership throughout the state about boosting Giuliani.

Recently Giuliani visited the law office of former Bay Ridge-Staten Island Congressman Guy Molinari, who served five terms in Congress. “I told him that the people of the state desperately need him, that everybody needs him,� said Molinari, also a former S.I. borough president, in an interview with the Eagle.

“We’d love to see him fix up the mess in Albany as he did with our city. Look, he has a proven track record. He got 540,000 people off the welfare rolls and into jobs. Some told me it changed their lives for the better,� said Molinari. “In 1988 we had 14 state Republican representatives in Congress. We’re down to three. A Giuliani win would have a coattails effect and get us some more in Congress and regain control of the state senate.�

Brooklyn Republicans, outnumbered by Democrats here, are buoyed by their party’s forward direction with Eaton’s leadership, a state GOP commission reform report released in June, and more new candidates running for office.

They believe that the momentum can pick up with Giuliani as flag-bearer to regain GOP control of the governor post and the senate, both lost by Republicans in the last two elections. In June Giuliani wrote an op-ed piece supporting the GOP reform.

A recent New York Times front-page article said a decision about a run might happen within two months or more likely, Giuliani confidants said, after the November city elections.

A sign of Giuliani’s intentions is in the decision of Joseph Mondella of Nassau County to forego another term as the state GOP chair. Giuliani is already supporting Henry Wojyaszek, Niagara County GOP leader and a Giuliani ally, as his successor.

If he goes for Albany’s political gold ring, Giuliani, 65, risks disengaging himself from a high-fee consulting business, as Congressman Peter King of Long Island is reported as saying in the Times. King is among those Giuliani has spoken to about a governor run.

If Giuliani runs, he would face a weakened Governor David Paterson (unless he recoups), or a strong Andrew Cuomo, the state attorney general mulling a campaign, which could strengthen Democrats’ hopes for retaining the state’s top office. On the Republican side, also expected to run is former Congressman Rick Lazio of Long Island, defeated by Hillary Rodham Clinton for the U.S. Senate in 2000.

Pollsters, such as a Siena College poll, put Cuomo nearly ten points ahead of Giuliani, with Giuliani trouncing Paterson. Republicans think Giuliani can close that gap and win.

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