The Republican presidential contender crowd just keeps getting larger, with a very obvious hint from three-time former New York Gov. George Pataki that he is throwing his hat into the ring.
Pataki, 69, who is headed for another trip to New Hampshire next week, announced Thursday that he launched a super PAC as part of his plan to explore a possible presidential bid,
the New York Post reported..
Attending a dinner at "21" in New York with former Texas Republican Gov. Rick Perry, also considered a likely candidate, Pataki told him: "Rick, you are a great friend, you were a great governor. If in fact the two of us are roaming through the snow in New Hampshire together next January, there is no one I will be prouder to stand next to than Governor Rick Perry," the Post said.
Pataki commented on President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech, saying "more of the same: tax more, spend more. Sadly what was lacking was a realistic view of the world,"
the New Hampshire Union Leader reported.
Pataki also took the opportunity to blast New York Mayor Bill de Blasio, saying: "We have a rotten mayor in this city. He is flat-out awful," the Post noted.
"I was the governor on Sept. 11, and I saw the consequences of us not being willing to confront and realize the nature of the threat. I honestly believe we are at greater risk of an attack today than we have been at any time since Sept. 11," he told those attending the dinner, called "The Real Economic State of the Union" and hosted by former New York mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis, Larry Kudlow of CNBC and economist Stephen Moore.
In New Hampshire, the first primary state, Pataki, who also considered running for president in 2008 and 2012, will speak at a fundraiser hosted by the Cheshire County Republicans in Keene and speak on the U.N. and terrorism at St. Anselm College,
The Boston Globe reports.
Pataki
told the New York Daily News in December: "I have no doubt in my mind that I have the ability to run this country well," and said of Obama, "when you look at the last six years, we have someone who may speak well but has never run anything. I ran a big complex state government under very difficult circumstances, in my opinion, very well.
"When you make a concerted effort and tell people that the ideas and principles you have are important to improving everyone's life, than you can expand and broaden the base of the party," Pataki told the Daily News.
Pataki
told The New York Times that laws affecting his new super PAC, called We The People, Not Washington, are keeping him from firmly announcing his candidacy.
Declared candidates cannot coordinate with their super PAC, but are free to do so prior to officially declaring.
"If it weren't for the election laws today, I could be running for president," Pataki told the Times, joking that "every four years you have the Olympics, you have the World Cup, and you have George Pataki in New Hampshire talking about running for president."
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