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In the Crossfire

Was Cuomo out of line or on target?

(CNN) -- Former New York mayoral candidate Mark Green and former New York Republican Rep. Susan Molinari step into the Crossfire with hosts Paul Begala and Robert Novak.

Andrew Cuomo, a Democratic candidate for governor of New York, questioned the leadership of Republican Gov. George Pataki in the days after the September 11 terrorist attacks. Were Cuomo's comments out of line or are charges about Pataki's handling of September 11 fair game? Will Cuomo's comments help or hurt him in trying to topple Pataki? Two pros on the Empire State debate it all.

NOVAK: Mark, let's talk a little politics. This is -- New York's one of the most Democratic states in the union right now. Al Gore just creamed George W. Bush there by a huge margin. They had big edge in the congressional and the House delegation. Two U.S. senators now. And yet you have, I don't want to be personal, but you have a Republican or at least a nominal Republican mayor...

GREEN: Wait till the recount.

NOVAK: ...of New York City.

GREEN: The French judge cheated me.

NOVAK: And you have a Republican governor way ahead in the polls. Can I suggest what the problem is?

GREEN: Please, I'd like to know.

NOVAK: It's this nastiness that we have from Andrew Cuomo. Voters don't like it. They don't like it when Democrats are attacking each other in the primaries. They don't like it when Democrats -- the only thing they can think of is to attack their opponent.

GREEN: Now the national audience only hears you. First, Andrew Cuomo and Carl McCall have not attacked each other much at all in the primary.

NOVAK: They haven't?

GREEN: Their surrogates have...

NOVAK: Oh.

GREEN: Second, George Pataki -- let's get to the facts -- he opened this line of inquiry by making this issue political. Four days before the mayoral campaign, I was the Democratic nominee for mayor. He calls me and he calls Michael Bloomberg, saying 'Look, I have to get going. I'm appointing a panel of all gubernatorial appointees, all my people.' I said, 'George, you've got to be kidding. Can't you wait 96 hours to see who the mayor-elect is?' He said, 'No, we got to get going.'

They appointed the last people last week. He did it because he was afraid the Democrat....

NOVAK: All right.

GREEN: No, no, I'm not done. His lecture bureau said -- his lecture bureau is pitching him. He wants to talk about 9/11. He appointed a man as the head of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, John Whitehead. This is supposed to be a consensus effort. He was about to host a $1 million fund-raiser, political fund-raiser for George Pataki before The New York Post, of all papers, blew the whistle.

NOVAK: Just a minute. I want to look you in the eye, Mark. I've known you a long time and don't cross your fingers. And you tell me, do you think that was a smart move, that was good language by Andrew Cuomo?

GREEN: We're talking about Andrew Cuomo's candidacy against George Pataki. Cuomo's the underdog. And we're talking about Pataki's lack of leadership. You wouldn't have been talking about that if he hadn't said it.

BEGALA: Let me ask you a question before you give an answer.

MOLINARI: OK.

BEGALA: I want to try -- test your candor, too. Look me in the eye, the camera will be on you, and tell me that you honestly in your heart believe that Pataki did as good a job on September 11 as Rudy Giuliani?

MOLINARI: He did as good a job. He did a different job. And that's why...

BEGALA: As good a job. I'm going step back as the thunderbolt hits now.

MOLINARI: As good a job and a different job.

BEGALA: A lesser job.

MOLINARI: You know what...

BEGALA: He held Rudy's coat. Andrew Cuomo was right, Susan.

MOLINARI: He was not political. He was the leader of New York state.

BEGALA: He was an incompetent.

MOLINARI: ...and he let the people who needed to do...

(Ringing bell)

BEGALA: Over time. Thank you very much, Susan Molinari, Mark Green.

MOLINARI: Hey, I want that bell.