ALBANY - Republican Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno blamed President Bush for the party's losses in New York in last Tuesday's election, saying voters were upset with the direction of the country.
Democrats swept all statewide offices and took three congressional seats from the GOP as part of a wave that gave Democrats control of both the U.S. House and Senate.
“The people were down on the leadership out of Washington, and frankly they've got good reason,” said Bruno, the state Legislature's top Republican, citing the war in Iraq as just one factor.
Last week's vote across the country was “aimed directly at what people see as the lack of leadership and the right direction out of Washington, out of the White House specifically,” he said.
Bruno called Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation a day after the election “an abomination” and said Republicans would have fared better had he stepped down before Nov. 7.
A Bush spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment, but on Sunday, the White House defended its decision to delay announcing Rumsfeld's resignation.
“The president correctly decided that this decision does not belong in the political realm,” White House chief of staff Josh Bolten said.
In New York, Republicans did keep their majority in the state Senate, but GOP Sen. Nicholas Spano is trailing Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins in a tight race in Westchester County. If Spano loses, the GOP will hold a 34-28 majority in the chamber in January.
Bruno said he was supporting Joseph Mondello of Nassau County to become the new Republican state party chairman following Stephen Minarik's decision to resign.
Bruno said he expected Mondello to be supported by the party's county chairmen across the state. Mondello, the Nassau County GOP chairman, has long been a major force in New York's Republican politics.
“He's an experienced person, he's a dynamic person and that's what we need here in this state,” said Bruno. “We don't need somebody who's in apprentice mode.”
Minarik, who has been Monroe County GOP chairman since 1992, plans to step down as state chairman at the end of the month, the party said Saturday.
Separately, Republican James Tedisco of Schenectady was unanimously re-elected Assembly minority leader on Monday.
The Assembly Republicans lost three seats in last week's election and will be outnumbered 108 to 42 by Democrats come January.
“The people were down on the leadership out of Washington, and frankly they've got good reason,” said Bruno, the state Legislature's top Republican, citing the war in Iraq as just one factor.
Last week's vote across the country was “aimed directly at what people see as the lack of leadership and the right direction out of Washington, out of the White House specifically,” he said.
Bruno called Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's resignation a day after the election “an abomination” and said Republicans would have fared better had he stepped down before Nov. 7.
A Bush spokesman did not immediately return a call for comment, but on Sunday, the White House defended its decision to delay announcing Rumsfeld's resignation.
“The president correctly decided that this decision does not belong in the political realm,” White House chief of staff Josh Bolten said.
In New York, Republicans did keep their majority in the state Senate, but GOP Sen. Nicholas Spano is trailing Democrat Andrea Stewart-Cousins in a tight race in Westchester County. If Spano loses, the GOP will hold a 34-28 majority in the chamber in January.
Bruno said he was supporting Joseph Mondello of Nassau County to become the new Republican state party chairman following Stephen Minarik's decision to resign.
Bruno said he expected Mondello to be supported by the party's county chairmen across the state. Mondello, the Nassau County GOP chairman, has long been a major force in New York's Republican politics.
“He's an experienced person, he's a dynamic person and that's what we need here in this state,” said Bruno. “We don't need somebody who's in apprentice mode.”
Minarik, who has been Monroe County GOP chairman since 1992, plans to step down as state chairman at the end of the month, the party said Saturday.
Separately, Republican James Tedisco of Schenectady was unanimously re-elected Assembly minority leader on Monday.
The Assembly Republicans lost three seats in last week's election and will be outnumbered 108 to 42 by Democrats come January.
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