Rick Lazio

As Steve Levy steals the spotlight in his bid for the governorship, "well-placed Republicans" say the GOP wants former party favorite Rick Lazio to step aside. According to the Post, it's encouraging the under-funded candidate to pursue a different office, attorney general maybe, or Kirsten Gillibrand's seat in the senate. However a state party spokesman denies the reports and a source close to the the former Long Island congressman called both ideas "patently absurd."

Limited trial experience makes Lazio a longshot for the attorney general post. As for the senate, he's already run once, losing out to another female Democrat, Hillary Clinton. So for the time being Lazio will most likely continue to pick on mustachioed former-Democrat Levy for not being Republican enough, as other opponents go after him with Titanic and Borat-themed attack campaigns. Yesterday Lazio, who has the cautious support of the Conservative Party, won the backing of one more GOP chairman. Meanwhile, Levy's campaign announced three new endorsements. And that's not even counting the backing of the powerful American Mustache Institute!