Would he or wouldn't he?

For months, as he sought to elevate his profile and reconfigure his public image, that's the question most local Republican leaders were asking about former Congressman Dan Frisa.

Even as recently as two weeks ago, as they gathered for their county nominating convention, the Republican establishment was all astir.

The rumors, however, rumors that had him possibly running in a primary against State Senator Kemp Hannon were off the mark.

This past Sunday, standing with his loved ones in a tent erected on the driveway of his home on The Plain Road in Salisbury, Dan Frisa once again threw his hat in the ring in a bid to once again represent the Fourth Congressional District.

His announcement followed a brief Flag Day ceremony held on his front lawn.

During that ceremony, the stars and stripes were raised by members of the Masonic War Veterans, Post 46, of Hicksville, and the former congressman led the more than two dozen supporters gathered in the Pledge of Allegiance.

"A few moments ago, we paused to observe Flag Day," he said after stepping before the microphones inside the tent. "What I want you to know today is that I want to stand for everything that flag means.

"Saying that, however, I must add that I believe it's important to be more than a symbol. I want to be a representative for us, the people of this neighborhood, and get real results in Washington for the residents of this congressional district."

Outlining his platform, Frisa said his talking points during the campaign will include cutting taxes, providing better healthcare and more healthcare choice, and strengthening the local educational system.

"In short, I want to be a force in making government function better for the people. That was the kind of representative I was when I served in Washington, and the kind of congressman I will be again," he said.

"I'll leave it to others to make excuses for the opportunities they've missed in Washington. My message is a message of results. Over the next several months I intend to remind people of the things I accomplished on their behalf, both as a member of Congress, and before that, as a member of the New York State Assembly."

Standing nearby, the former congressman's Dad, Salvatore Frisa, looked pleased.

"I think he'll do all right," the father said. "But he's got to get out there and walk the district and talk to people. He's got to get to the train stations, to the stores. If he only does what he did while campaigning for the state assembly, then I think he'll do fine.

"After, all, when you stop to think about it, he's got a real fine record in public service," Sal Frisa said.

Said his mother Joan, "Am I excited about this? Sure. I stand by my kid."

When asked where their son got his love of government and politics, both of his parents laughed and quickly said, "Not from me."

"Ever since he was a kid, growing up here in Salisbury, he had that drive in him," his father said. "He always loved the idea of being in government."

"It was something within him," his mother added. "It's what drove him to be an Eagle Scout, what drove him to get involved in student government in high school, and what led him to become the president of the Young Republicans here."

"I'm so excited about [making this race] that I probably can't adequately express it," Frisa said during an interview with Anton Community Newspapers.

"I feel I have a strong record in Congress and I think over the course of the next several weeks and months, rank and file Republicans will come to see that I have the kind of record they can believe in and support.

"During this campaign, which will culminate in a primary election on September 15 and the general election on November 3, I want to talk to the voters about several things, including the need for lower taxes, the need to make our neighborhoods even more safe than they have been.

"I want to talk to them about the need to reform the IRS, about better and more affordable healthcare... and along with that, I want to talk to them about the need to reform government.

"What I want to see is a common sense and compassionate approach to reforming government, an approach that ensures that we provide the people we serve with the things they feel they need."

In announcing his intention to run in a primary against the party's designated candidate, Assemblyman Greg Becker, Frisa is, in one fell swoop, doing exactly what Republican insiders feared he'd do and also what they'd expected.

Inside the Republican Party Frisa is considered a force to be reckoned with and an awesome campaigner. It was through a primary challenge in 1994 that he knocked off then-incumbent representative David Levy.

Frisa lost his congressional seat just two years later, after his campaign faltered against a daunting electoral backdrop.

For one, he was seeking re-election as a Republican in a presidential election year. Such years traditionally skew in favor of the Democratic party here in New York State.

In addition, there was a rising tide of resentment against the freshman class of Republican lawmakers in Washington ¬ resentment fueled by the pronouncements and seemingly heavy-handed actions of House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

And finally, there was the buzz-saw that was and remains Long Island Rail Road massacre housewife Carolyn McCarthy, who rode a tide of public sympathy into the United States Capitol.

Asked about specific lessons he learned from that last campaign, Frisa said "I've learned things from all of my campaigns, wins and losses.

"More than anything though, from that last campaign, I learned that I need to communicate more effectively what my good ideas and what my accomplishments are."

Prior to Frisa's official announcement of his candidacy, the lifelong Salisbury resident predicted "a big win" against Greg Becker, and he expressed the expectation that such a win would propel him to victory in November against Congresswoman McCarthy.

"There's no doubt," he said.

Frisa characterized rumors that he would run against Kemp Hannon as "screwy."

"Frankly, I think Kemp is a great state senator and I feel we need him to continue to serve on the Senate health committee. I definitely intend to vote for him."

Speaking specifically of his campaign, Frisa said that rather than attack Greg Becker, he intended to "reintroduce myself to everybody."

"It's going to be a process of talking about the things I did in Albany and Washington, and a process of reminding them why they voted for me in the first place in past years. You know, why they liked me."

Frisa said he also plans to "take it on the chin" in regard to his ill-fated campaign against Carolyn McCarthy in 1996.

"The bottom line, really is that I tried to do my utmost for the people. I really do think that I was a good representative for this district in Washington. At the same time, however, I did run a bad campaign for re-election against Carolyn.

"In the end, I was a good representative, but a bad politician," he continued.

Asked about his opponents, Frisa was relatively circumspect, saying about Becker only that the assemblyman made some votes in Albany that he, as a member of the assembly, didn't agree with.

Of McCarthy, as he has in the past, Frisa said she has failed to keep her promise to do something about the kind of gun violence that took her husband's life and severely injured her son.

"Here we are, unfortunately, having to deal time and time again with these shootings in schools across the country. Here we are reading articles, like the article which ran in The New York Times a few Sundays ago, saying that despite the so-called federal ban, assault weapons are still very much available on our streets.

"And to date, Carolyn McCarthy has not issued a single bill in Congress aimed at this problem.

"She managed to vote for a pay raise for Congress. She managed to vote against term limits for representatives. And she did a book and a movie.

"Other than that, her record is kind of thin," Frisa said.

"But I don't want that to be the first, last and middle word on this campaign," he continued. "My bottom line is, I've always had a desire to help people. I enjoy and get great fulfillment out of working for people and making government work for them.

"The issues that are important to me are the issues that are important to people who live in this community."