Hillary's New Match

Long Island Rep. Rick Lazio is launching his first jabs at his rival for the New York Senate seat, Hillary Rodham Clinton, calling her ambitious and boasting of his legislative record on CBS News’ Face The Nation.

Clinton advisor Harold Ickes, pointing to Lazio's voting record, tried to portray him as a mean-spirited, anti-education conservative.

Lazio's staunch ally Gov. George Pataki also appeared on the show, saying he did not know what would happen to the $9 million war chest New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani amassed before dropping out of the Senate race to tend to his recently diagnosed prostate cancer.

Lazio said: "Nobody has to question whether my ambition is about moving to the next political step for national office. This is about serving the people of New York as I have served them in the House of Representatives."

Lazio said that instead of just talking about the issues, he's been doing something about them. Last week, he said, he helped pass two major pieces of legislation, one on breast cancer and another on cleaning up the Long Island Sound.

Asked about comparisons between himself and former Republican Speaker Newt Gingrich, Lazio responded, ”This campaign will be no more about Newt Gingrich than it is about Bill Clinton."

Lazio said he and Mrs. Clinton are "going to have a ton of debates."

When Pataki was asked whether he thought Lazio was a better candidate than the “other fellow." Pataki said, "Lazio is equally a good candidate." He added: "He's a better candidate than Hillary Clinton, I'll tell you that much, because he knows New York. He's from New York. He's one of us. And he's run for and held public office."

Giuliani raised $9 million during his short-lived campaign race. When asked if this money will get turned over to the Republican Campaign Committee and be used on Lazio's behalf, Pataki said Giuliani told him Lazio has his support, and the mayor will help Lazio become the next senator. Pataki said what happens to the $9 million will depend on the laws that govern campaign financing.

Ickes said New Yorkers are focused more on the issues and not the labels that Lazio has been painting Clinton with. Ickes said Lazio voted to eliminate the Department of Education, to cut school lunch programs, to decrease aid to disabled children and 1993 deficit reduction package.

"That is a record that he is going to have to talk about and that’s a record he’s going to have to defend," said Ickes.