Lhota ''Looking Forward" To Weiner Joining Mayoral Race

While the Democratic candidates are shivering in their pants (or not) about a possible weiner candidacy for mayor  Republican hopeful Joe lhota urged Anthony Weiner to jump into the race for mayor, Erin Durkin and David Seifman report.

"Anthony’s been a friend for a long time," Mr. Lhota said at a press conference on the steps of City Hall. "I’m looking forward to engaging him in a vibrant debate about the issues. I think he raises the level of the debate all way round and I urge him to enter the race."  

As for Weiner’s Twitter troubles, Lhota said it’s time to forgive. “I believe in forgiveness. I always have,” he said, after quipping, “I wasn’t part of Twitter at that time, so I’m not sure exactly what he did.”

A Weiner candidacy virtually would guarantee a runoff in the Democratic primary,writes Erin Durkin. which could only benefit Lhota’s candidacy as a Republican. 

Mr. Lhota's hopes about a Weiner candidacy lays also in his hope of a 3 way competitive  race. According to unnamed sources who spoke to NYC Elects, Anthony Weiner is seeking to form a third party line or challenge Adolfo Carrion on the Independence party line. Such a move would guarantee him staying in the race until the very end, in any event he won't find the Democratic primary a comfortable platform to run on, or by assessing his slim chances emerging as a top tier candidate. 

"A Three-way race between Quinn, Weiner and Lhota, would give every candidate an equal chance winning the mayoral race," said the source. "This is a game changer dream for Joe Lhota, who's considered a long shot beating the Democratic nominee one-on-one."

Earlier this week, Hunter Walker also reported in the name of a well-placed political insider who knows Weiner said they wouldn’t be shocked if the people preoccupied with Weiner’s slim chances in the Democratic primary were missing his real route to City Hall — a bid on a third party line.

“Anthony is going to look at this from a completely insurgency point of view,” the insider said. “Anthony is the king of triangulation.” 

The insider suggested Weiner could be talking with New York’s infamous Independence Party and that, on any party line, he could do well in a general election against Quinn and a Republican.

“I think he’s doing this truly from the point of view of guerilla warfare insurgency,” the insider said.