Gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo hit the campaign trail in Upstate New York with stops in Syracuse and in Buffalo, the heart of "Carl Country." Cuomo says Albany needs to be cleaned up and he's the man to do it. Our Josh Robin reports.

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NEW YORK STATE -- Call it the battle for the Lazio voters. Rick Lazio may not have received many votes had he stayed in the race for governor, but a day after the former congressman dropped his Conservative Party bid, Andrew Cuomo swooped in.

"Mr. Lazio's gone and I think the choices are now very clear," said Cuomo.

That, according to the Cuomo definition, are between him, a self-proclaimed moderate Democrat and a quote unquote extreme Republican, his take on Carl Paladino.

"That's a very stark choice, frankly it's one of the most stark choices I've seen in many, many years," Cuomo said.

Among the reasons given: Paladino's opposition to abortion, even in cases of rape and incest, and his suggestion that he'd like to see some welfare recipients in hygiene classes in retrofitted prisons.

The only problem is that while Lazio hasn't embraced Paladino, he is ruling out backing Cuomo.

"I strongly believe that Andrew Cuomo cannot bring about change, but I remain unconvinced that Carl Paladino will bring the improvement that New Yorkers need, deserve and want," Lazio said.

Meanwhile, Cuomo's commitment to being a moderate will be tested by his political base. Like when it comes to unions. Cuomo once promised tangling with organized labor if elected government. But that was before it became clear his Republican challenger would give him a race and Cuomo began to shore up solid Democratic support. It's a point Republicans are hammering.

"Andrew Cuomo is running to his left to try and secure his base now and he's leaving his printed program in the dust, the printed program about trying to be a fiscal conservative, he's proven that he's nothing but another tax and spend Democrat," said NYS Republican Party Chair Ed Cox.

But Republicans like Cox can also be accused of changing their strategies. After all, Paladino is the third candidate Cox backed in this election season.