Paladino: Bring me the heads of Skelos and Kolb

That’s a Sam Peckipah reference, by the way, as well as the metaphorical message of Carl Paladino’s latest statement on what he’s thinking of doing in 2014.

The surprise Republican gubernatorial nominee in 2010, Paladino in a widely distributed email pushes back against Ken Lovett’s Monday column suggesting that he’s feeling warmer about the idea of a 2014 run by Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino. Paladino says this should not comfort anxious Republicans.

He states his demands: no RINO gubernatorial candidates, and the “voluntary or forced resignation of previously identified RINO County Chairs like Vinny Reda, in Rockland County, as well as Dean Skelos as Majority Leader of the Senate and Brian Kolb as the Minority Leader of the Assembly. Their neglect of the values of those who put them in office and failure to provide legitimate opposition to the State’s Democratic Party machine is unforgivable.”

” … The coercion to leave office will come when Republican and Conservative State and County leaders call on their Republican Senators and Assemblymen to send Skelos and Kolb packing with the threat of denying endorsements if they don’t cooperate,” Paladino adds. “If they think I’m bluffing and are willing to risk the survival of the party, it only confirms their spineless hypocrisy. My ‘to go’ bag is packed.”

I noted in my own Sunday column that the state GOP can start to worry when Paladino starts going after party chairman Ed Cox. In keeping with his statements up to now, this latest missive groups Cox in with People Carl Tolerates So Far — along with Astorino and Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin.

Here’s Carl’s full statement:

On Friday I spoke with both Ken Lovett of the N.Y. Daily News and Rob Astorino and explained to each of them my current position on New York State Republican politics. This morning Ken Lovett wrote an article interpreted by the pretenders of the Republican establishment that I have weakened in my position. Not true. The facts are as follows:

• 1. The upstate Republican rank and file are agitated and frustrated at not being represented by their valueless elected Republican legislators who also fail to provide an opposition to the Cuomo/Silver machine. They no longer want gutless RINO (Republican in Name Only) leaders making decisions for them. They want representation that promotes their beliefs but instead are given spineless RINOs who share no common values. The national and state Republican establishment gave us Mitt Romney, a loser who was fool enough to side with the 1% against the 99%. Also, in 2010 they tried to deny me the opportunity to speak at the Convention and then gave us Rick Lazio. The rank and file spoke clearly in the primary, but the establishment laid down in the general election.
• 2. This coming year the rank and file will choose who they want to be their candidates for statewide office. Republican establishment leadership will no longer shove RINOs down their throats. I intend to change the Republican Party as we have known it with the voluntary or forced resignation of previously identified RINO County Chairs like Vinny Reda, in Rockland County, as well as Dean Skelos as Majority Leader of the Senate and Brian Kolb as the Minority Leader of the Assembly. Their neglect of the values of those who put them in office and failure to provide legitimate opposition to the State’s Democratic Party machine is unforgivable. Without formidable opposition, the Democrats produce criminal legislators and liberal regressive legislation at an alarming rate.

The coercion to leave office will come when Republican and Conservative State and County leaders call on their Republican Senators and Assemblymen to send Skelos and Kolb packing with the threat of denying endorsements if they don’t cooperate. If they think I’m bluffing and are willing to risk the survival of the party, it only confirms their spineless hypocrisy. My “to go” bag is packed.

Only when and if the phonies are expelled from their leadership roles and the Republican Party rank and file back a moderate Gubernatorial candidate acceptable to them, with proper financing and the intestinal fortitude to fight the good fight, will I back off. I’ve told Rob Astorino and say here to Steve McLaughlin, Ed Cox and any others who have thoughts of running for Governor to hit the road and tell the rank and file who you are and what you will do. While you are at it, encourage the Republican Legislative caucuses to shed their leadership.

If this does not happen, I will ask the Conservative Party for its endorsement and give it the opportunity to lead rank-and-file Republicans to a place where RINOs are not welcome, the status quo is unacceptable and substantive conservative values are not to be played with.

It’s time for party leadership at every level to respect those who put them in office, and to lead, follow or get out of the way.