We have a GOP gubernatorial primary in New York.  Democrat-turned Republican Steve Levy will challenge front-runner Rick Lazio for the GOP nomination.

Regardless of your preference, that's great for the New York Republican Party. There'll be a spirited debate between the two candidates, drawing widespread media attention.

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"Secretaries Timothy Geithner and Hank Paulson told Congress at the AIG hearing earlier this month that they faced a choice: a bailout or another Great Depression. This is not true. Classic central banking offered a better alternative. Let AIG fail and lend to the market on good collateral. The Fed, acting as lender of last resort, should protect the market—not the failing firm. That policy worked well in the 19th and early 20th century by inducing banks and counterparties to hold collateral acceptable to the Fed following failures."

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I'll admit that I had my doubts about the ascent to office of New York State GOP Chairman Ed Cox.  A pleasant man, he seemed too soft-spoken, too mild, too polite, too much a gentleman for the bare-knuckle world of New York State politics.  After all, this is the arena in which you must tame wild beasts unknown elsewhere in the political world: Michael Long, Michael Bloomberg, Andy Stern and the SEIU, the public employee unions, Working Families Party, ACORN, Bart Haggerty (???).

Yet in his quiet, unassuming way, Ed Cox already has proven himself with several hard-fought successes.  The GOP victories in Nassau and Westchester Counties must be credited, in part, to Cox's hard-charging, tenacious, behind-the-scenes fundraising efforts.  Cox has good political instincts, works hard, and is willing to take risks for the GOP.  That's the definition of a leader.

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 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703523204575130103389782346.html

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From Wall Street Journal

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy has decided to abandon the Democratic Party and run for governor of New York as a Republican. Mr. Levy, a lifelong Democrat, will declare his candidacy for the GOP nomination during an event in Albany on Friday, a spokeswoman, Rene Babich, confirmed late Wednesday night.

Mr. Levy, 50, will need a majority of the weighted vote of the GOP county chairs to get on the ballot. Ed Cox, the chairman of the state Republican committee, said, "County executive Steve Levy is a political phenomenon and a real fiscal conservative. "The fact that he is coming over to the Republican Party is a huge coup to the Republican Party and is a sign that we're the future," he said.

Mr. Levy's decision to enter the race comes as a growing number of Republicans voiced dissatisfaction with GOP candidate Rick Lazio, who is best known for his unsuccessful campaign against Hillary Clinton for U.S. Senate in 2000.

Mr. Lazio's fundraising has been lackluster, and critics complain that he's failed to generate excitement for his candidacy.‬"I'm not happy with the way (Mr. Lazio's) campaign is being run," said Rockland County GOP chairman Vincent D. Reda, first vice chairman of the state Republican committee. Mr. Reda, who had previously endorsed Mr. Lazio but has been pushing for Mr. Levy to enter the race, called Mr. Lazio's support among the county chairs as "soft." 

He predicted that many of the county chairs will turn to Mr. Levy in the coming days. "Mr. Levy should be welcomed into the Republican Party with open arms," Mr. Reda said. "Anyone who wants to change their registration, particularly if it's a high-level Democrat, we have to welcome him into the Party," he said.

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From: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0310/34602.html

President Barack Obama had exhausted most of his health care reform arguments with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus during a White House meeting last Thursday when he made a more personal pitch that resonated with many skeptics in the room.

One caucus member told POLITICO that Obama won him over by “essentially [saying] that the fate of his presidency” hinged on this week’s health reform vote in the House. The member, who requested anonymity, likened Obama’s remarks to an earlier meeting with progressives when the president said a victory was necessary to keep him “strong” for the next three years of his term.

Another caucus member, Rep. Jose Serrano (D-N.Y.), said, “We went in there already knowing his presidency would be weakened if this thing went down, but the president clearly reinforced the impression the presidency would be damaged by a loss.”...

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http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704743404575127853850785416.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_us

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The MSM finally seems to be catching on (click here for full story):

"WASHINGTON -- Buyers, beware: President Barack Obama says his health care overhaul will lower premiums by double digits, but check the fine print.

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When it comes up for reauthorization, Congress should repeal No Child Left Behind ("NCLB"), a Bush Administration initiative which clearly has failed to deliver what it promised.  The Obama Administration's tinkering will make matters even worse.

What works to improve educational outcomes? If massive federal financial aid to education actually produced huge improvements in pupil performance, I'd be waving a big flag in favor of it. It has failed, so I oppose it. Instead, to get the federal money, state and local government have figured out ways to game the system (by watering down the tests) to get the federal money without delivering real improvements in pupil performance. That's cheating. If the people running the education system are cheats, what do you expect of the pupils?  In cheating the federal government, New York State and its municipalities are among the worst offenders.

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