The Donald to run for New York Governor? Say it ain't so...

[buttmunch]

By JOE MAHONEY
DAILY NEWS ALBANY BUREAU CHIEF


Donald Trump

ALBANY - Could New York's state capitol building become the next Trump Tower?
Republican sources said The Donald - who in 1999 toyed with the idea of running for the White House on the Reform Party line - is mulling a bid to persuade New Yorkers to hire him as their next governor.

Senate GOP leader Joseph Bruno tantalized reporters yesterday by declaring a wealthy mystery candidate is "thinking" about seeking the party's backing to replace Gov. Pataki.

Bruno - a longtime Trump admirer who has gained new clout within statewide GOP circles as Pataki prepares to leave state politics - wouldn't name the potential candidate.

"When it gets public, you are all going to become excited, interested, and will want to write about it," said Bruno. "This person is thinking about it, and I bet you you'll vote for him if he ends up running."

A billionaire Republican, real estate developer, casino mogul and TV star, Trump has been a big supporter of the Bruno-controlled troupe of Republican state senators.

But he's also sent donations to Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, the current Democratic front-runner in the governor's race.

Trump could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In 1999, while considering a run for President, Trump put up a Web site that declared: "Donald J. Trump may be the experienced, decisive can-do businessman America needs as President in the new millennium."

He later opted against making his candidacy official, calling the Reform Party "a total mess."

A Trump candidacy would "generate a huge amount of attention," said Baruch College politics professor Doug Muzzio. "It would certainly energize the governor's race."

Several Republican insiders said Bruno is struggling to get a "big name" for the race because he's concerned upstate billionaire Tom Golisano - often mentioned as a potential GOP candidate for governor - may decide against running a fourth time.

Another businessman who has been nudged to run for governor is Time Warner Chairman Richard Parsons, whom Pataki tried to recruit for the race, sources said. But Parsons "is not running for governor," a Time Warner spokeswoman said.


Just what would The Donald do?


What would life be like with Donald Trump in the statehouse? Here's a look:


Lawmakers could take a break from those long budget negotiation sessions by playing newly installed slot machines.

Secretary of Hair becomes new state post.

New York would get its first First Lady named Melania.

State's motto "Excelsior" would be changed to "You're Fired!"

[Sojiita]

oh hell no!

[ourmaninBusan]

Republican sources said The Donald - who in 1999 toyed with the idea of running for the White House on the Reform Party line - is mulling a bid to persuade New Yorkers to hire him as their next governor.

Does this mean we all have to get combovers like him?

[japangherl]

oh God I hope not. Can you imagine what it would be like with him as Gov?

[lurkur]

Didn't Trump go bankrupt a couple of times? Ah well, he's a "billionaire" (doubt it), spews uninspired catchphrases, and lies about his accomplishments. Sounds like a perfect choice for the Repubs!

[A*O]

Since being a humourless prick seems to be a job requirement for Mayor of NYC I think The Donald should run for that instead.

[buttmunch]

Nah...Bloomberg is too thoroughly entrenched.

[A*O]

Is Bloomberg popular? I've read that the crime rate in NYC is beginning to rocket again because Bloomberg is more interested in harrassing smokers than catching crims.

[buttmunch]

Bloomberg was re-elected recetnly and I think it was a fair margin. I'm not sure what the crime rate is, but it's still nothing like it used to be. But his harrassment of smokers is ridiculous. The city where anything goes, eh? I thought of it the other day when I saw an episode of Sex and the City...Carrie/SJP was in LA and it was no smoking everywhere she went. She finally was so glad to be heading back to NYC so she could smoke in peace. Talk about dating in a television show! Anyway, Bloomberg is just a corporate dude who thinks he's got the solutions for everything. I still haven't seen him do all that fixing up of the public schools he's always yammering on about. He just seems sort of bland. But at least he hasn't got a combover. He's balding and proud of it. And yes, The Donald has gone bankrupt several times...and his kids are complete twits. Don't even get me started on that scary new wife of his. I start to mourn the loss of Marla Maples every time I see the new one's frozen face.