RGA Chair Haley Barbour, whose organization party-switching Suffolk County Steve Levy once insisted was firmly in his corner and would spend millions to help his gubernatorial bid, released a statement today welcoming the party’s newest candidate for governor: M. Myers Mermel.

“I would like to welcome my friend Myers Mermel to the race for Governor of New York,” Barbour said in the statement, which was disseminated by Mermel’s campaign.

“He is a successful businessman who holds core conservative values and principles. His entry is another encouraging sign for Republicans in the New York governor’s race.”

“We look forward to Republicans in New York having a spirited debate about the future of the state, and I am confident the eventual GOP nominee will be competitive in the fall.”

Before he dropped his LG candidacy to join the governor’s race, Mermel was touting the fact that Barbour had sent him a $1,000 campaign contribution – unsolicited, the candidate insisted.

The disagreement between the RGA and the RNC over who to back for governor in New York has been a subtext of the party’s fight over the top of its ticket, which just seems to grow stranger as the convention draws near.

The RNC is officially neutral, but Chairman Michael Steele has reportedly had some heated behind-the-scenes exchanges with state GOP Chairman Ed Cox over his decision to back Levy and refused to spend any money to help the candidate, who is technically still a Democrat.

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