Staten Island Republican chairman John Friscia indicated in a conversation I had with him this morning that he's planning to support Michael Bloomberg in a G.O.P. primary.
Bloomberg is looking for the support of three of the city's five Republican county chairs to allow him to participate in the primary despite not being a registered member of the party.
He'll almost certainly need Friscia. Two of the other chairs have been so critical of Bloomberg in recent days that it's getting hard to see how they'll be able to reverse themselves.
From the interview with Friscia, in which the chairman says that he can envision supporting another Republican only if Bloomberg were prevented by the courts from running:
"I like [John] Catsimatidis very much and he's been terrifically supportive of the party…If for some reason they find this is not in keeping with election law section 5 I think…and I don't think that is going to
happen. And in the event the southern district winds up ruling against Bloomberg and it goes to the circuit court of appeals and they overturn what happens–I don't see that happening either–but I suppose if DOJ says the mayor is not permitted to do this, or the circuit court of appeals says they mayor is not permitted to do this, which I don't think that will happen, then John Catsimatidis is our candidate–is my candidate. I would be happy to support him, however,
I don't see those things happening."
"I was pleased with the meeting with the mayor, pleased with the tone of the mayor."
"So, if you read between the lines, does that mean I'm going to support the mayor? I think you can read between the lines."