Buzzing The Blogs: Spencer Says He's the Pick of Conservatives, May Face Competitor From NYC

The Conservative Party of New York State has endorsed fomer Yonkers Mayor John Spencer in his bid for Hillary Clinton's Senate seat. Spencer's Web site announced the endorsement Tuesday, following a two-day party caucus in Albany that ended Monday.

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The Politicker, the political blog of the New York Observer, picked up a story from upstate saying a former Reagan Administration official, KT McFarland, has been exploring an effort to beat Spencer to the GOP nomination. McFarland is a pro-choice Upper East Sider who worked for the State Department during the Reagan years as deputy assistant secretary in the public affairs office. The Politicker reports McFarland is being advised by Ed Rollins, a top GOP advisor going back to the Reagan years.

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Meanwhile the Conservatives haven't made the decision that everyone is waiting for, their endorsement in the governor's race. While the man of choice for the GOP powers-that-be seems to be Bill Weld, he is widely believed to be much too liberal on social issues to win the Conservative Party's backing. And no Republican candidate has won a statewide race in New York for 32 years without support from the Conservatives. Capitol Confidential, the blog of the Albany Times-Union, quoted Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long as saying he was pleased with what he saw as Weld's "evolution" on gay marriage. But, the Confidential's post also linked to an item today by The American Spectator in which Long is quoted as saying Weld made no inroads at all.

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One more tidbit to come out of the Conservative Party gathering in Albany the last two days. The Journal News reports today that, in a bid to show her conservative stripes, Jeanine Pirro told the group she has three guns. According to the paper, the candidate for state attorney general scored some points with the Conservatives, but it may have come at the expense of her support with gun-control advocates, who consider the former Westchester County D.A. to be sensative to their cause.

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And finally. From the Times of London. A report in that British publication says Hillary Clinton may have too much of a stiff upper lip when she is before a large crowd. The paper reports that supporters and detractors alike think Clinton may be a bit too stiff on the campaign trail and that may hurt her if/when she runs for president in 2008.