Phil Ragusa, the Queens County Republican Chairman, said his day today has been “shitty.”
Aside from the looming pile of work on his desk (he’s an accountant and tax day is around the corner), he’s seeing his coalition of Republican five chairman and abandoning the mission of denying Michael Bloomberg the Republican line.
Last night, Brooklyn Republicans voted to let Bloomberg run in their primary for mayor even though he left the party more than a year ago.
“I think Craig [Eaton] was a little premature,” Ragusa said, referring to his counterpart in Brooklyn. “I think he jumped the gun. He should have waited till we screened the other Republican candidates.”
Ragusa said he has not spoken yet with Eaton.
“I think the wiser move would have been to table it, and have this meeting a few weeks down the road when we finish our process,” he added.
When I told him that Eaton voted against a motion to delay the vote, Ragusa let out a sigh.
“We were five, now I guess we’re four. He still needs three to get that Wilson-Pakula,” he said, referring to the number of chairmen whose approval Bloomberg needs to be allowed to run on the Republican line.
“I’m not mad at Craig. Craig’s a very nice man,” said Ragusa, who went on to say he’s “saddened” by the vote yesterday.
Ragusa said Eaton was still invited to participate in the chairmen’s meeting with other Republican mayoral candidates, including John Catsimatidis and Tom Ognibene.
Ragusa also rejected the notion that his public criticisms of the mayor may have boomeranged and led to yesterday’s show up support in Brooklyn.
“I speak my mind, what I think is correct. I’m representing Queens County,” he said. “I’ve taken the pulse of the people.”
