By Tom Precious
ALBANY – Carl Paladino acknowledges, in his words, he can be “impulsive.”
So a short while after he finished up talking to some reporters on the third floor of the state Capitol this morning, he likely couldn’t resist giving New York Post state columnist Fred Dicker the middle finger as he walked by his office.
It was Dicker who got into the verbal shouting match – in full view of television cameras -- in Lake George with Paladino during his 2010 gubernatorial campaign after the Buffalo businessman accused Andrew Cuomo of having an extramarital affair. Since Cuomo became governor two years ago, Dicker has been the go-to person for the governor to take his message on a regular basis on Dicker’s morning Albany radio show. Dicker is also wrapping up a biography of Cuomo, who has cooperated with research on the book.
Paladino was at the Capitol today to speak at a rally by gun owners opposed to New York’s new gun control laws. He flipped the middle finger to Dicker through the glass wall separating the Post’s office from the third floor hallway.Near the beginning of today’s radio show, Dicker said Paladino, if he owns a gun, might have to give up his weapons because of a new mental health provision in the law that requires health professionals to report on patients who might be a threat to themselves or others. Dicker said the provision might apply to Paladino “because of the nature of comments he makes," which he called “threatening, menacing comments" against people.
About 40 minutes later, Dicker interrupted an interview he was doing on the show. “He just threw me the bird," he said of Paladino.
“He has this thug quality to him and apparently he hasn’t grown up since he was running around the state menacing people a couple years ago,’’ the Post columnist said.
In an email comment, Dicker said of Paladino, "His crudeness speaks for itself.''
Paladino declined comment.
tagged
Andrew Cuomo | Carl Paladino
