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IT’S A RAP-UBLICAN PARTY – LL COOL J BOOSTS PATAKI’S POSSE

Rapper LL Cool J and Gov. Pataki made strange political bedfellows yesterday as the Queens music man endorsed the Republican’s re-election campaign.

Holding a voter registration sheet and noting he had never cast a ballot before, the 34-year-old entertainer said he first met the governor at a groundbreaking ceremony in Queens for an assisted-living facility for the handicapped.

“It’s not about color. It’s about actions,” said LL Cool J, whose given name is James Todd Smith, at the Midtown event. “This is going to be the first gentleman I vote for.”

Looking both pleased and slightly amused, Pataki admitted he had never heard any of LL Cool J’s hit songs – which include “Mama Said Knock You Out” and “Rock the Bells.”

“I am a fan of LL Cool J and it’s not so much because of the music but because of the role that he has played. You just heard someone who is not just a great entertainer, but he’s someone who’s committed to his community,” Pataki said.

Not to be outdone, Democratic challenger Carl McCall last night also brought out a big gun in the form of former Vice President Al Gore.

Accompanied by his daughter Karenna, Gore blasted Pataki during a 10-minute speech at the fund-raiser.

“[Republicans] put in all these policies, and the incumbent here – even though he’ll try to posture himself one way and then the other way – is part of the team,” Gore told the crowd of about 150 supporters. “And the overall team has brought about an economic catastrophe for our country.”

Pataki scored a coup by winning the backing of a well-known African-American star. McCall, who is black, enjoys strong support from the minority community, including Russell Simmons – founder of the Def Jam label that launched Cool J’s career.

The rapper said he knows little about the state comptroller, but insisted he had “nothing against him.”

McCall campaign spokeswoman Marissa Shorenstein downplayed the endorsement.

“At least this time, the governor is registering a real person as opposed to this past summer when he helped to register dead, fictional, and cartoon characters,” she said.

The reference was to the Independence Party primary, which Pataki lost to billionaire Tom Golisano.

Besides Gore, Sen. John Kerry, Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. John Edwards have all said they’ll help the McCall campaign.