Republican millionaire Carl Paladino officially entered the gubernatorial race last night before a crowd of hundreds of his tea-party supporters at the Ellicott Square Building in Buffalo. Paladino is the same guy who compared health-care reform to 9/11, so we already know that he’s not going to win any awards for political correctness. When Congressman Jerry Nadler criticized him for it, Paladino called him a “partisan hack” and an ass kisser, so he will also not win any awards for politeness. In his speech last night, Paladino showed off more of his blunt, confrontational style with sharp jabs at his opponents.
On Andrew Cuomo: “Some of the people I’m opposing think they’re entitled — my daddy is a governor”; and, “He’s probably squirming under a rock someplace trying to figure out how he’s gonna get out of this one.”
On Steve Levy: “I didn’t change my party registration to be a Republican just yesterday because I needed a place to run for governor.”
On Carl Paladino: “Carl’s a bad guy, he’s a mad man, he’s a racist.”
Oh, that last one was supposed to be what his detractors would say about him in their smear campaign. Bad guy, racist? We don’t know. “Mad man” might be on target, though, based on the giant banner hanging from the ceiling: “I’m mad as hell, Carl.”
Paladino: Replace ‘despicable government in Albany’ [Capitol Confidential/Times Union]
Race begins with famous rant [Times Union]
Gov hopeful Paladino: They can’t shut me down [NYP]
