Herman Badillo is Rudy Giuliani without the 20 tons of baggage. He’s not vindictive, petty, mean-spirited or schizophrenic.

While the former CUNY chairman of the board hails the achievements of Giuliani’s two terms–dramatic reduction of crime, tax-cutting, an education agenda that emphasizes merit rather than throwing money at the corrupt teachers’ union–Badillo’s prospective mayoralty won’t be pockmarked by a soap-opera personal life and a gross propensity for calling opponents "morons" and "idiots."

The performance of Giuliani’s police department, particularly following the disastrous management of his predecessor David Dinkins, was by and large exemplary. Why the Mayor was so defensive and brittle after the tragic shootings of Amadou Diallo and Patrick Dorismond is a mystery: he could’ve avoided the perception of racial insensitivity by extending immediate sympathy and help to the victims’ families and admitting that his cops weren’t perfect. Giuliani’s no racist, but his churlish behavior needlessly gave dangerous demagogues like Al Sharpton, encouraged by a hostile and alienated local media, the ammunition to polarize the city.

Badillo, the one candidate with a truly inspiring immigrant’s story to tell–orphaned in Caguas at five, arriving in New York at 11 speaking only Spanish, overcoming numerous obstacles to become the United States’ first Puerto Rican congressman–can be expected to handle inevitable racial flare-ups with conviction but also compassion.

With Badillo as mayor, a "decency commission" wouldn’t occur, even if he disagrees with the absurd taxpayer handouts to artists who sully themselves, and compromise their work, by accepting money from the government.

In the event Badillo can overcome political neophyte Michael Bloomberg’s money machine in the Sept. 11 GOP primary–a longshot, but certainly feasible considering the small number of Republicans who’ll actually vote–the 72-year-old career public servant can build a coalition to defeat the Democratic nominee. Say the challenger is Mark Green, the egocentric left-winger-disguised-as-a-moderate (although the Public Advocate has a history of peaking early in his mostly unsuccessful campaigns for serious office). With his platform to rigorously reform education, to cut taxes to promote not only neighborhood business and residential redevelopment and continue Giuliani’s crackdown on crime, Badillo would be able to attract the minority voters that Green takes for granted.

It’s stupefying and disgraceful that the state’s Republican apparatus has chosen Bloomberg over Badillo in the primary–preferring the former’s bank account over a man who personifies the type of New Yorker Republicans are trying to attract to the party–but should Badillo eke out a victory the Bush administration is likely to provide the funds to wage a competitive contest with the Democratic candidate. (Gov. Pataki’s miscalculation doesn’t bode well for his own reelection hopes next year: does he really believe Bloomberg won’t support Andrew Cuomo?)

Badillo, a lifelong Democrat who switched parties in ’98 because of his disgust with his colleagues’ preference for patronage and obeisance to a political base over sound fiscal and social policy, could become New York’s first Hispanic mayor. As he told the Daily News last week, "I supported all of the social programs of the ’60s and ’70s. The point is, they didn’t work." His ascendancy wouldn’t win New York for Bush in 2004, but would be of national significance in the effort to convert Spanish-speaking Americans to the GOP.

Bloomberg is spending millions on a lark that is short on substance and long on self-aggrandizement. (The only positive thing about his obnoxious tv commercials is that they pump money into a weakened economy.) His arrogance is overwhelming. In a Sept. 3 New Yorker report by Elizabeth Kolbert, Bloomberg is quoted from a recent campaign appearance: "The world today is hardly perfect. But when I was born my father didn’t know anybody that went to an Ivy League school."

That’s the kind of statement that makes you wonder if the billionaire is running for mayor or applying for a job at a Conde Nast magazine.

Despite the abandonment of Republicans who ought to know better, Badillo, badly underfinanced, refuses to succumb to Bloomberg’s assault on New York’s citizens. He told Kolbert: "It shows total contempt for the people of the city. It soils the hands of anybody who would even think of voting for that man."

Badillo’s hope is that committed Republicans–the kind who actually turn out for primaries–will ignore the garish Bloomberg campaign and cast their votes for the one man in this mayor’s race who is qualified to build on Giuliani’s successes while eliminating the harsh rhetoric that’s tarnished the Mayor’s tenure.

All business, no theatrics.

It’s for these reasons that New York Press unequivocally endorses Herman Badillo for mayor.