IMPORTING POLS
By CHARLES E.F. MILLARD

April 29, 2005 -- THE recent ruminations of Bob Kerrey and William Weld say a lot about the state of New York politics.

Kerrey, president of the New School for Social Research and ex-Nebraska governor and senator, recently spent a few days publicly flirting with the idea of a run for mayor. Weld, ex-governor of Massachusetts, is now mulling a run for governor.

Both hypothetical "import" candidacies highlight the palpable sense of a shortfall in locally grown talent — of Republican candidates with the gravitas to run a statewide race, and of Democrats with the gravitas to be mayor.

Sure, "Cosmic Bob" Kerrey said he thought about running for mayor because he felt Bloomberg was doing a poor job. But that's hard to square with his willingness only days earlier to head Democrats for Bloomberg. In reality, he likely thought about running because he had the same insight as 46 percent of Democrats in the recent Marist poll: Give us another option. Who among the current Democrat candidates can hold the stage with Michael Bloomberg? (And he's an import, too.)

Weld says that Eliot Spitzer is beatable for governor. That's definitely true: Spitzer has upset Wall Street, so fundraising should be easy for a qualified candidate. (Some may think Wall Streeters won't give to Spitzer's opponent out of fear of reprisals. But if he runs for governor, Spitzer will be giving up the attorney general's subpoena power.)

It seems increasingly clear that neither Rudy Giuliani nor George Pataki will be running another New York-only race. There's some other talent available: Rick Lazio did a creditable job, coming in late against Hillary Clinton (another "import"!) in 2000 after Giuliani pulled out for health reasons, and John Faso nearly beat Alan Hevesi for state comptroller in 2002 — but they both have new jobs. Westchester DA Jeannine Pirro looks like a good candidate but she is focused on running for Spitzer's current post, attorney general.

Thus, absent a Weld candidacy, it's pretty slim pickings. Why?

Why — in New York, the largest city in the country, and a Democrat stronghold — is the Drab Four the best set of candidates the Democrats can offer? Where are the Koches and Cuomos? Heck, where are the Richard Ravitches of this party?

Why — in a state that has produced politicians as strong as Rockefeller, Javits and D'Amato — do we only have so few potentially legitimate Republican names?

In the city, the problem is one-party rule. Each of the candidates is a current or former member of the City Council (full disclosure: me, too). And each was or is one of the brighter lights of the council at their times — which can only make you realize how dimly the council chamber is lit.

Because New York City is essentially a one-party town, party leaders pick the candidates for City Council and state offices. The qualities they seek are obedience, commitment to the party and its leader and a willingness to toe the line. Frequently, the candidate has spent a few years on the staff of another elected official with those same great leadership qualities.

Fields and Ferrer each became borough president basically via party-leadership-ordained default and Miller became speaker through a deal between the Democrat leaders of the Bronx and Queens. Weiner, to be fair, won a contested congressional primary after a few years in the council. But he did it by navigating the same minefield of Democratic Party interest groups — groups that won't reward any undue attention to reality, because they don't have to in this one-party town.

In essence, by allowing ourselves a one-party government, we have enshrined mediocrity.

Statewide, the problem is similar. Albany is not a one-party town, but something that's arguably worse — a three-man town.

Where does an up-and-coming Republican make his or her mark? In the state Senate or Assembly? Those two birthplaces of giants?

Albany is dysfunctional as a democracy. Three leaders decide the budget and most legislation among themselves. The majority of each house votes for these items unanimously, like it or not, and minority members vote "No" if it suits them.

Since New York City is the media hub of the world, and certainly of the state, very little of what goes on in Albany is brought to light in the larger media that provide most people their news. So there is very little a senator or assemblyman can actually achieve unless he is Joe Bruno or Sheldon Silver.

That's no formula for building statewide leaders.

As long as we continue to make New York City a one-party town, and so long as we allow Albany to be run as a tri-opoly, we shouldn't be surprised that the best candidates might be from other states.

Charles E.F. Millard was a city councilman 1991-'95 and president of the city Economic Development Corporation 1995-'99.