Pataki talks Rudy, Hillary, George W.—and Yale

JOHN YI/YH George Pataki, PC '67, revealed he is a Yankees fan.

On Thurs., Oct. 7, New York Governor and Chubb Fellow George Pataki, PC '67, addressed a crowded Law School auditorium on "The Role of Government in America's Post-Industrial Prosperity." He discussed the rise of "compassionate conservatism," New York's years of liberal policy, and the improvement of the New York State welfare system under his administration. The Herald sat down with the governor.

Yale Herald: What were your days as a member of the Yale Political Union (YPU) and as chair of the Conservative Party (now the Independent Party) like?

Governor George Pataki: We had vigorous debates, tremendous speakers, and tough elections. I think some of the toughest campaigns I was ever involved in were at the YPU. The important thing wasn't the issues we debated, but the people you got to know and work with. That was by far my most active endeavor as an undergraduate.

YH: Did you know [Texas Governor] George W. Bush [DC '69] as an undergraduate?

GP: I knew him, but he didn't know me. I knew him because his father was a congressman and his grandfather was a senator. My roommates and I actually tried to recruit him to get involved in politics, but he wasn't interested at all.

YH: It seemed you were set to support Congressman Rick Lazio for the Republican senatorial nomination. Why did you suddenly decide to endorse New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani?

GP: Rick Lazio has an extremely bright future ahead of him in New York State, but I felt it was important that we have a unified party to get behind our strongest candidate for the U.S. Senate. Mayor Giuliani has been an outstanding mayor. He governed a city that was often referred to before him as ungovernable. He has earned the right to be our candidate.

YH: Do you believe First Lady Hillary Clinton [LAW '73] is a "Southern carpetbagger?"

GP: I can't understand how someone can say, `I want to be in the Senate, here's a good state. I've never been there, I've never gone to school there, but it seems like a nice state to represent in the U.S. Senate.' There are 18 million talented, aggressive people in our state. We don't need someone from outside the state pretending to represent us in Washington. I think she has more interest in advancing her national ambition than in being an effective senator for the people of New York. I also have a philosophical difference with Hillary Clinton's beliefs—bigger government, more control from Washington. That's the wrong philosophy for the future of America.

YH: Now I'd like you to take a stand on an issue dear to both Mayor Giuliani and Mrs. Clinton. Who are you rooting for—the Mets or the Yankees?

GP: Since Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra, I have been in love with the Yankees. I can deal with Kosovo or trade relations in China, but this is a tough one cause I've always been a Yankee fan, but the Mets have been out of it for so long that you've got to have a love of the fight of the underdog. There's always been a little bit of that love in me, since in every campaign I've run I've started 20 points behind in the polls. I hope the Mets make the playoffs and go seven games [into the World Series against the Yankees], but I'd have to be for the Yankees in the seventh game.

YH: Do you consider yourself a "compassionate conservative?"

GP: I do. As compassionate Republicans our policies aren't right just for traditional Republican constituencies, but for everybody. Our policies are far more compassionate towards the poor, minorities, and immigrants. New York was a lab experiment for 20 years of unfettered liberal philosophy. It failed with a lenient approach to criminal justice. New York at one point had the highest rate of violent crime in America. If you were rich enough to live on Fifth Avenue, the fact that criminals were being let back on the street didn't have that great an impact on you. We have changed those policies with conservative approaches ending parole, early release, and work release. Now we have the safest streets in a generation.

YH: What are the chances of having two Yalies in the White House in 2000?

GP: My focus is on doing everything I can to see that George W. Bush gets the Republican nomination and then gets elected. He is the right person to lead America into the 21st century. He's been an outstanding governor, he's made real changes in Texas that have improved people's lives. He has shown in his policy addresses about rebuilding the military and focusing on education that he has the right agenda for America. My interest is to advance his agenda. I think it's horribly premature to think about [the vice presidency].

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