Lunch talk with Kasich
JOHN Kasich grabbed lunch at Peter Kalikow’s Club 101. Alongside the onion soup was me asking how’s a guy gin up the decision to run for president.
“I’ve gone a whole lifetime thinking about it. Prepared and wanting this always, since I’m a young man. I asked my beautiful smart manager wife if it’s OK, and Karen said, ‘ You mentioned this 52 times already. You want me to say no because we have two kids?’
“She’s got the worst part of the bargain. I’m opinionated. Confident. I like to shake things up. So I asked again. And she gave me her support.”
Instead of allpurpose phrases like “balance the budget . . . jobs for kids . . . create growth” . . . Kasich flashed a photo of blond Karen. “Working for a p.r. firm, she came to take my picture and I said, ‘That’s the most beautiful woman I ever saw.’ ”
No hesitancy to the huge responsibility of running the United States of America?
“I’m not scared. I’ve been governor of Ohio twice. This seventhlargest state’s a snapshot of the whole country. No Republican’s ever been elected without Ohio. I’ve had shootings, storms. It’s what I do, and now’s the right time for toughening and strengthening. The challenge is to build a team.”
Through a quick chew of bread: “I want to bring back patriotism. Family and community aree parpartially destroyed. Nobody knows who their neighneighbors are. We don’t getget totogether anymore. We need to reconnect. Not just pass laws, but encourage them. Our people need to renew love of this glorious great country. I’m Christian. As the pope said, ‘ We must be hopeful.’ ”
About tonight’s pin-the-tail-on-the-Democrats debate: “It’s not a really great way to pick a president.”
About Israel: “That country will endure. Israel’s our friend. I’ll fight for it. It must and will survive. Never ever can we let their security be threatened.”
Over a twosecond stab at his plate of fish: “We love New York. I take my twin daughters here once a year. They go to Bloomingdale’s, all over, see shows and get an Italian dinner at Angelo’s on Mulberry Street.”
He grabbed a roll’s crust as Kalikow and Alfonse
D’Amato hustled him out.