Pataki Touts Successes as Governor in GOP Presidential Debate
Former Peekskill Mayor George Pataki touted his record as a three-term governor of New York during his appearance Thursday night in the undercard debate of scrambling Republican presidential candidates in Cleveland.
Pataki, 69, whose poll numbers among the 17 GOP hopefuls did not qualify him for the “main event” top 10 debate with the likes of celebrity developer Donald Trump and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, said he considered a presidential run in 2012 but decided the timing wasn’t right.
“I was ready to lead but I wasn’t ready to run,” the lanky resident of Garrison said. “We need someone who has not been a career politician. We need to solve problems. We need to rebuild our military to stand up to radical Islam. We need to grow the economy. We need to end crony capitalism in Washington. We need new leadership. I will be that new leader.”
Pataki grew up on a family farm in Peekskill. He was elected mayor of Peekskill in 1981, before being elected as a state Assemblyman, state Senator and Governor, where he served three four-year terms, leaving office in 2006.
In May, several hundred people jammed into the Lincoln Depot Museum in Peekskill where President Abraham Lincoln stopped to make a brief historic speech in 1861 on his way to Washington D.C. to hear Pataki, who has never lost an election, proclaim why he should be taken seriously.
“Wherever I am, wherever I go, this is home. This is where my values were formed. This is where my heart is. I know the greatness of this country. We have to take this country back,” he said at the time.
Pataki, who is currently Of Counsel with Chadbourne & Parke LLP, and president of his own small business, Pataki-Cahill Group, that works in energy, infrastructure, and clean-tech, said Thursday night he was able to “deliver in the blue state of New York” by being able to work with Republicans and Democrats.
“In New York I brought people together. I can do it regardless of what the makeup of Congress is. I did that in New York State,” Pataki said. “I worked with a Democratic legislature to put in more sweeping reforms ever.”
Pataki said he reduced the number of residents on welfare by more than one million as governor and stressed his leadership following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center.
“I think we are at the greatest risk of another attack since then (9/11),” Pataki said when questioned about ISIS and Islamic extremists. “We need to stop their ability to attack us and then get out. I would not place one American’s life in jeopardy if it’s not necessary but to destroy ISIS it is necessary.”
On other issues, Pataki, who is the lone pro-choice Republican candidate seeking the party’s nomination, said he would defund Planned Parenthood and support legislation that would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy. He also said he would revoke all of President Obama’s executive orders, as he did when he ousted Governor Mario Cuomo.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
