Giuliani's withdrawal may impact state GOP's Senate majority
DAN MEYER Political Columnist
As New Yorkers continue to recover this weekend from the aftermath of the ongoing celebration of the Giants' improbable ASuper Bowl victory over the New England Patriots and what took place at the polls on "Super Duper Tuesday," here's some food for thought on how the disappointing run by Rudy Giuliani for the Republican nomination may ultimately cost the GOP their decades-long majority in the state Senate.

Just a few months ago, Republican chairmen from across the state were licking their chops at the thought of having "America's mayor" at the top of the GOP ticket in November, but Giuliani's decision to pull out of the race and throw his support to the campaign of John McCain has close observers of the state's political scene thinking this may be the year that Democrats wrestle away control of the state Senate.

Expect the Democrats to pump a lot of cash into the campaigns of their candidates running this fall in some of the key downstate districts as the loss of Giuliani as the GOP's presidential candidate, coupled with the Dems' growing voter advantage statewide, have Republicans wondering if their small majority in the 62-seat Senate may cease to exist.

I still think that McCain as the presidential candidate may provide the opportunity for more independent and conservative voters to be intrigued enough to head to the polls, especially since McCain has different views than Giuliani on certain hot-button issues like abortion.

Right now, Republicans have just a one-seat majority in the Senate, thanks in large part to Sen. Mary Lou Rath's decision to not seek re-election, a move that angered some grizzled veterans of the state GOP committee who tried to convince her to instead immediately resign so a special election could have been held at some point this month.

Rath's decision is the second jab to the jaw for Republicans in recent weeks. Sen. Jim Wright also has announced his retirement, meaning the state GOP has to put forth a great effort to find new candidates and then support them financially in districts where Democrats believe they can be victorious in November.

Make no mistake about it, Giuliani's dropping out of the presidential race is a devastating blow to state Republicans who are biting their fingernails over the thought of losing their control of the Senate as part of a state government that is mostly Democrat controlled.

State Republican leaders are doing their best to mask their disappointment in Giuliani's poor showing in state primaries held last month and his campaign's eventual collapse. Take this recent statement published in a mass e-mail sent out by state GOP Chairman Joseph Mondello as an example of the new rallying cry that asks Republicans from the Empire State to stand strong behind McCain:

"New York's Republican Party is unified behind Sen. McCain. As the primary process moves to Super Tuesday and particularly the New York primary, Republican activists across the state will be fully supporting Sen. McCain and working tirelessly to ensure that he is the next president of the United States."

"Sen. John McCain is a true leader, an extraordinary patriot, and a committed Republican. New York's Republican Party and John McCain have been good friends over the years."

"Sen. McCain has proven himself to be a leader with the experience necessary to lead our nation during troubled times. His unwavering commitment to winning the war on terror, stimulating the economy, limiting government and ensuring that our families are safe from dangers at home and abroad reflect the needs of New Yorkers and people across the country."

Giuliani at the top of the ticket would have been a real plus for state Republicans. The aura and warm and fuzzy feelings that came from the support of "America's mayor" have resulted in panic behind the scenes in Albany when it comes to a handful of Senate races on Long Island and in Queens.

With Sen. Joe Bruno promoting the idea that all voters, including registered Democrats, should consider voting for a Republican state senator this fall as a way to keep a sense of "checks and balances" in place, to allow the GOP to keep a watchful eye on a Democratic state Assembly and the Democratic governor, most other Republicans are just keeping their fingers crossed.