GOP Calls in Heavy Hitter To Help Fend Off Democrats

Roger Stone, one of the best-known and most feared Republican political operatives of the past 30 years, is advising state Senate Republicans on how to beat back the effort by Governor Spitzer and the Democrats to oust them from power.

Mr. Stone, a protégé of President Nixon who developed offensive strategies for the campaigns of President Reagan, the first President Bush, Senator Dole, and other Republicans, is likely to help Republicans sharpen their attacks against Mr. Spitzer.

Mr. Stone, a Miami resident, addressed Senate Republicans on Tuesday at the Albany headquarters of 1199 SEIU, the health care employees union, which has become an important base of operations for the Senate conference.

After meeting with Mr. Stone, Senate Republicans went live with a Web site, nyinjeopardy.com, attacking individual members of the Senate Democratic conference for their positions on economic and other issues. Mr. Stone said he was not responsible for the site.

Mr. Stone is negotiating the financial terms of his arrangement with Republicans, a source said.

Republicans, with bases of support in upstate and Long Island, have controlled the state Senate since the 1960s. But their majority has shrunk to 33 seats, compared with the Democrats' 29 seats.