The Rage of Serf Maltese

The Politicker just spoke to the Queens County Republican Party chairman, who described his mental state as "amazed outrage and indignation."

The trigger for this fit is a challenge, filed by Bloomberg aide John Haggerty, against one Philip Sica, a minister and the sole, longshot Republican candidate for Borough President.

"In forty years of politics I never heard of a party candidate challenging his own party's candidate where he has no alternative or opposition candidate in the race," Maltese said. "Now we are left to our own devices to figure out why Mayor Bloomberg does not want the alleged party of his choice to have a candidate on the ticket for Borough President."

Another Republican reminds The Politicker, however, that Haggerty is a past master of election-law trench warfare: He was the force behind State Senator Nick Spano's successful challenge to just enough Democratic voters to keep the Westchester Republican in office last year.