Herman Cain has won his first major New York endorsement with the backing of former MTA Chairman and real-estate mogul Peter Kalikow, a key Republican fund-raiser.
Kalikow, a close friend of former US Sen. Alfonse D’Amato, told The Post he had become impressed with Cain in recent weeks and decided to back the presidential hopeful and former Godfather’s Pizza CEO after a near-hourlong meeting in his private office Friday at 101 Park Ave., which Kalikow owns.
“I haven’t been this excited about a presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan ran in 1980,” Kalikow said yesterday.
“Herman Cain says things like I would say things. He’s straightforward, and clearly he’s a guy who thinks outside the box.
“I’m calling all of my friends. I’m going to raise money for him, and I think that number could be substantial,” continued Kalikow, a former owner of The Post, predicting he’ll raise “at least” $250,000 for Cain in the coming weeks.
Kalikow, who initially backed Texas Gov. Rick Perry weeks ago with a campaign contribution, said he was won over by Cain’s emphasis on job creation, his economic message, including his “9-9-9” tax-reform proposal, and, most importantly, his personal rags-to-riches success story.
“Meeting with him was better than I thought it would be. I love a guy who got to where he is today coming from a background where his father was a chauffeur for Coca-Cola and his mom was a domestic servant. I just love a guy like that,” Kalikow continued.
Kalikow said Cain looked him in the eye and assured him that the allegations of sexual misconduct with past employees, which have rocked his campaign for the past two weeks, were false. Kalikow said, “I believe him.
“Herman spoke to me about the allegations and said there was no substance to them at all, and I take him at his word.”
“I take sexual harassment very seriously, and I don’t condone it in any form,’’ he continued.
Kalikow’s endorsement of the conservative Cain comes as other prominent New York Republicans, including D’Amato and state GOP Chairman Ed Cox, are believed to be close to endorsing former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is widely seen as a political moderate.
“Romney is seen as a safe and noncontroversial choice, and that’s why so many New York Republicans are planning to endorse him,’’ said a longtime GOP activist.
*
Even as Occupy Wall Street protesters rail against the banking industry, officials fear that Wall Street earnings have dropped so much that lost income-tax revenues will blow a huge hole in the next state budget.
That’s why officials are holding their collective breath as Gov. Cuomo prepares to release, as soon as today, what he has already warned will be a “grim” report on state finances, a six-month update on spending and revenues during the current fiscal year.
The update will likely show a projected deficit of $3 billion or more for the fiscal year beginning April 1, raising the specter of significant budget cuts in a legislative election year, higher taxes, or the use of “one-shot’’ fiscal gimmicks to paper over the shortfall.
It’s also certain to bring renewed calls from Cuomo’s fellow Democrats for renewal of a “millionaires tax” on the wealthy, which the governor has maintained would undermine New York’s ability to compete for private-sector jobs.