State and Nassau Republican chairman Joseph Mondello didn’t come right out and endorse former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for president Tuesday night a Suffolk’s GOP fundraiser, but he came extremely close.
While making the usual caveats that “it’s still early” and he “hasn’t made a final decision,” there was little doubt in the audience where Mondello was headed.
According to one attendee, Mondello said the former mayor is “the guy who would do us the most good in New York. We haven’t had too many people paying attention to New York. All the others take money out of New York. But don’t bring anything back.”
Another local Republican reported that Mondello said, “I’m not making an endorsement right now but I think we’re going to wind up with the hometown boy,” using the Giuliani monicker, “America’s mayor.”
Rick Brand
Mondello told the crowd that he couldn’t make the word official because U.S. Sen. John McCain, along with Giuliani, has agreed to headline his May 17 $1,000-a-head state GOP fundraiser at the Sheraton New York Hotel in Manhattan.
“I can’t insult a guest speaker,” he reportedly told the crowd. Mondello also took a pot shot at Newsday, saying that the paper was made up of 86 percent Democrats or socialists.
The Suffolk GOP event drew 230 paying customers, according to Suffoilk GOP chairman Harry Withers, clearing about $40,000 for the party. It is the smallest of the recent party events, not even matching the Suffolk Conservative dinner last month which nearly doubled Wither’s turnout.
Withers also reaffirmed that he expects Republicans to run their own candidate for county executive. “We’re going to run someone, though it won’t be an elected official,” he said.
Comments (1)
I think 500+ people and clearing a 100,000 dollars is more than double not nearly double, also you said not even matching did you mean not even close!