PALADINO CAMPAIGNS IN OF ALL PLACES MANHATTAN
Carl P. Paladino
But Monday  Paladino held his nose long enough to make a brief campaign swing in Manhattan  determined to navigate it with the same rumpled everyman style and resolute anti-elitism with which he has campaigned to be the state's chief executive.
 He succeeded  up to a point. He insisted on sitting in the front seat of a taxi as it whizzed through Midtown (back seats  after all  evoke chauffeurs). He stayed at an unassuming hotel. And he devoured an anti-power breakfast: eggs  sausage and butter-soaked toast at an out-of-the-way diner.
 The timing of his visit to Manhattan was deliberate and highly symbolic: After riding a wave of upstate anger over Albany and the economy to win the Republican primary last week  Paladino must now convince downstate voters to rally behind him.
 visit to Manhattan was deliberate and highly symbolic: After riding a wave of upstate anger over Albany and the economy to win the Republican primary last week  Paladino must now convince downstate voters to rally behind him.
 It could prove a daunting challenge. Paladino  who is backed by the Tea Party  has espoused a deeply conservative agenda. He has proposed severe cuts to familiar programs like Medicaid  called for eliminating entire agencies and suggested using prisons as dormitories to teach welfare recipients hygiene.
 But his aides believe that his plain-spoken message of tax cuts and smaller government will resonate as much on the Upper East Side as it does in Erie County  home to Buffalo.
 His Manhattan jaunt began early Monday with an interview at the headquarters of Fox News  where he seemed awed by the hive of activity around him well before 8 a.m.
 "Why do you guys get up so early?" he asked a reporter.
 Wherever he went  he insisted on opening doors himself and holding them open for those around him  especially women. (He has criticized his Democratic opponent  Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo  for imperiously waiting for aides to open doors for him. "He wouldn't dirty himself and touch the handle " Paladino said recently.)
 and touch the handle " Paladino said recently.)
 And Paladino sometimes found it hard to suppress complaints. During a taxi ride  he tore into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority  calling it corrupt and bloated.
 His cabby  Shaheen Qanoongo  nodded in agreement.
 "You are absolutely right " Qanoongo told Paladino  even while acknowledging to the candidate  "I don't know much about you."
But Monday  [TGT] held [TGT] nose long enough to make a brief campaign swing in Manhattan  determined to navigate it with the same rumpled everyman style and resolute anti-elitism with which [TGT] has campaigned to be the state's chief executive.
 [TGT] succeeded  up to a point. [TGT] insisted on sitting in the front seat of a taxi as it whizzed through Midtown (back seats  after all  evoke chauffeurs). [TGT] stayed at an unassuming hotel. And [TGT] devoured an anti-power breakfast: eggs  sausage and butter-soaked toast at an out-of-the-way diner.
 The timing of [TGT] visit to Manhattan was deliberate and highly symbolic: After riding a wave of upstate anger over Albany and the economy to win the Republican primary last week  [TGT] must now convince downstate voters to rally behind [TGT].
 visit to Manhattan was deliberate and highly symbolic: After riding a wave of upstate anger over Albany and the economy to win the Republican primary last week  [TGT] must now convince downstate voters to rally behind [TGT].
 It could prove a daunting challenge. [TGT]has espoused a deeply conservative agenda. [TGT] has proposed severe cuts to familiar programs like Medicaid  called for eliminating entire agencies and suggested using prisons as dormitories to teach welfare recipients hygiene.
 But [TGT] aides believe that [TGT] plain-spoken message of tax cuts and smaller government will resonate as much on the Upper East Side as it does in Erie County  home to Buffalo.
 [TGT] Manhattan jaunt began early Monday with an interview at the headquarters of Fox News  where [TGT] seemed awed by the hive of activity around [TGT] well before 8 a.m.
 "Why do you guys get up so early?" [TGT] asked a reporter.
 Wherever [TGT] went  [TGT] insisted on opening doors [TGT] and holding them open for those around [TGT]  especially women. ([TGT] has criticized [TGT] Democratic opponent  Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo  for imperiously waiting for aides to open doors for [TGT]. "[TGT] wouldn't dirty [TGT] and touch the handle " Paladino said recently.)
 and touch the handle " Paladino said recently.)
 And Paladino sometimes found it hard to suppress complaints. During a taxi ride  he tore into the Metropolitan Transportation Authority  calling it corrupt and bloated.
 His cabby  Shaheen Qanoongo  nodded in agreement.
 "You are absolutely right " Qanoongo told Paladino  even while acknowledging to the candidate  "I don't know much about you."