Leave It To Rudy

This was supposed to be the big week in the New York Senate race. The mayor would decide if prostate cancer would force him out of the campaign. Everyone waited politely, quietly, somberly even, for this grave decision.

And as it turned out, this was, no question, the big week in the New York Senate race. Except cancer had nothing to do with it. Neither did politeness, quiet or somberness.

The escapades got rolling when a tabloid published a snapshot of Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his admittedly "very good friend," spicily described in the New York papers as "an Upper East Side divorcee." Talk quickly turned tawdry.

Dueling press conferences last weekend pitted the mayoral wife, Donna Hanover, against the mayoral very good friend, Judith Nathan. It was a nasty "she said, she said" that had the city buzzing. But the wife was still supportive, standing outside St. Patrick's Cathedral to announce she was standing by her man through his dire medical problems. The very good friend told everyone to leave her alone.

The only woman in New York who wasn't talking was Hillary Clinton.

In an interview with CBS News, New York Times columnist Gail Collins noted the odd switch of events: "You know, what we're realizing now is that the Clintonesque character in this race - the Clintonesque character who's up, who's down, who's in, who's out - is Rudy Guiliani. The traditional Senate candidate is Hillary Clinton, who's trotting about in upstate New York talking about how to redevelop the economy in Buffalo."

There's an old adage in military tactics: Never interfere with an enemy that's in the process of destroying itself. Mrs. Clinton apparently knows her tactics.

And Mayor Giuliani obliged, in spades. A man not generally known for giving the press what they want, Giuliani gave the gossip mongers a genuine stunner this time: he announced he was separating from his wife.

"Donna and I lead, in many ways, independent and separate lives," he said in a press conference.

This statement was not exactly news to New Yorkers.

The mayor is rarely seen with Hanover, an actress and TV personality. He makes no secret of the fact that he no longer wears a wedding ring. Many in the media and beyond have believed for a while that Guiliani was seeing Nathan on the side, but it seemed almost fine, since the Guilianis were never together anyway.

But what New Yorkers, political connoisseurs and probably the mayor himself weren't ready for was the counter-attack. The usually restrained Hanover stood not by her man, but up for herself, accusing her husband of a previous affair with a press aide, presumed to be Christyne Lategano.

What's more, Lategano countered, saying Hanover is just under tremendous "stress."

For that day at least, the mayor looked like he was coming apart at the seams. Tired, shaky, almost teary, you had to feel bad for the guy. Well, almost.

But what a diference a day makes. By Thursday, the mayor was back in character and on the attack.

When reporters pressed on whether he was quitting the race, he hushed them up with a long "Shhhh!

"Don't you guys have the slightest bit of decency?" he cried.

Leave it to Rudy to foist his own embarrassment onto a throng of reporters. But amid the attacks, he still saved time for somber reflection about his cancer.

"Maybe it changes you in one way, gives you sense of perspective which some of you lack," he mused.

So what is his perspective now? Will he or won't he run?

Many Republican insiders seem to think he won't. That's why a flurry of back-ups are gearing up to jump in.

There's Rep. Rick Lazio: "There's nothing I can or will do regarding the Senate race until the mayor makes his decision. I spoke to the mayor, and I told him that I want him to focus on the best health options for a complete cure, and I will be true to my word."

At least until the mayor dumps out.

Then another congressman, Peter King, threw his hat in. There's talk Gov. George Pataki will make a run. And possibly a multi-millionaire, investment banker named Theodore Forstmann.

The more you talk to Republican insiders, the more names show up on the list. Maybe it's wishful thinking. But it now appears seems that if Guiliani does drop out, the May 30th New York Republican Convention could be a free for all. Actually, it could be pretty wild even if he stays in.

Meanwhile, that other candidate keeps trolling the counties upstate, slowly delivering her message to anyone who'll listen, laughing all the way to the Senate.