News Copy, New York

New York's Scandals Overshadow Budget Crisis: Without Any Distractions, Are Democrats Better Off?

Going back to the column by Josh Kurtz in Congressional Quarterly Politics, the headline "Race, Politics and Troubles in New York" infers something that should not fall so hard on the shoulders of any single politician or any particular demographic group.

Why not start by mentioning New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, particularly since he now has near-dictatorial control of the budget process?

How about discussing Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch, who Democrats will summon to replace a "lame duck" governor -- and whose last "great" initiative was crafting the notorious Metro-North payroll tax?

"With Paterson gone, state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is almost certain to be elected governor, and the Democrats retain an even chance of keeping control of the state Senate, just before the redistricting process begins. And eight potentially vulnerable Democratic congressmen — Michael Arcuri , Timothy Bishop, John Hall , Dan Maffei , Eric Massa , Michael E. McMahon , Scott Murphy and Bill Owens — can fight through a tough cycle without the additional distraction of having to account for Paterson’s erratic behavior."

First, why make David Paterson the fall guy for over 40 years of liberal Democrats wasting tax dollars (and more than a few Rockefeller Republicans joining in)?

Second, Democrats have continued to lose elections in New York since last November and through last month's special elections.

Third, does Andrew Cuomo winning so easily ensure a statewide landslide for everyone else or a more sleepy turnout by Democrats?

Fourth, Democrats hold a narrow one vote lead in the State Senate -- with much bickering within their own caucus -- and a persuasive case could be made that Republicans could regain control by margin of 4-6 Republican lawmakers.

Finally, since when are eight vulnerable incumbent Democrats looking to head back to D.C. suddenly safer because David Paterson cried "uncle" after the "gray lady" (The New York Times( made an in-kind contribution to Andrew Cuomo's gubernatorial campaign with an overtly (and annoyingly) telegraphed "hit" piece?

Who's next?

Also, can we stop blaming the Executive Chamber for dysfunctional problems within our State legislature?

"... It’s fair to say that both Spitzer and Paterson have done incalculable harm to the cause of political reform in the state. And Cuomo, while possessing many admirable qualities, is no reformer."

Cuomo's push for locally approved consolidation, by referendum, was viewed with such enthusiasm by reformers that it earned him an acknowledgment by the New York State Conservative Party and an invite to that party's annual political action conference.

Re-reading the article a few times, not one mention of Sheldon Silver came up (or Joe Bruno).  How about the many years of incalculable harm by "three men in a room" whose machinations always started in the same place?

Is it so hard for journalists covering New York State to grasp how government works in our legislature -- or is it just easier to make the executive the fall guy?

Is it that the New York State Assembly and State Senate has been taken for granted as an elected body of lawmakers?

Maybe it is too much like Congress.

Maybe they all have to be shown the door on Election Day. 

While the article discusses black empowerment, how about empowering reformers running for the Assembly to replace nearly two generations of political lemmings encompassing every race, creed and color?

How about discussing people empowerment, participatory government, initiative and referenda, a more open (and realistic) bill creation process and a complete overhaul of the rules in New York's legislature?

Finally, how about first finding someone who can count?

Andrew Cuomo Due To Grab Front Page Headlines: Paterson Announces Run For Governor

No need to wait for the story.  This is New York.  We can see this one coming a week away.

Ever since the Times teased its scandal about David Paterson, the state knew Andrew Cuomo was running.

Between now and probably Tuesday or Wednesday, expect some major front page story to upstage Governor David Paterson.

Andrew Cuomo should either get some attention grabbing news exclusive that leaves everyone forgeting that Paterson announced on Saturday that he is running for governor.

Or one of the tabloids will have a full page photo of Paterson dancing with a ... Republican?

The truth is that David Paterson has upstaged himself by failing to rein in Albany.

The other truth in New York is that Andrew Cuomo is the political cult of personality that will upstage everyone else.  The risks for Cuomo is that this ego-centric media push -- supposedly coming naturally -- will coil resentment against him in the minority community.

It's only a matter of time before this turf war between minorities and white political leaders in both major parties causes partisan fractures throughout New York.  How Paterson's candidacy was covered, though validly an indictment against State capitol politics as usual, might also be misinterpreted over time as a slight against black candidates.  When it uncoils, the backlash is going to be ugly.

The Huffington Post's headline called Paterson the "accidental" governor.

"When it comes to money, he's got less than a fourth of the funds his inevitable Democratic opponent, Andrew Cuomo, has collected from the party's fat cat supporters. When it comes to popular support, well , his numbers are lower Eliot Spitzer's were after the hooker scandal broke."

Bill Hammond of the Daily News said that voters are openly asking why this man is running.

"He won the support of many New Yorkers by advocating a strong, fiscally conservative response to the recession, but he repeatedly caved to pressure from lawmakers and special interests. Spending, borrowing and taxes have pushed relentessly skyward."

The New York Times noted that no statewide elected official joined the governor on Saturday at his announcement at Hofstra University.

Liz Benjamin of the New York Daily News tracked Paterson's campaign trail over the weekend -- but it wasn't much better.

Rick Lazio is continuing to be nice to Paterson, which is probably not a bad strategy considering that they have a common enemy (and that Paterson is so far behind in the polls that there is no reason to be undiplomatic).

Lazio told the Daily News that the Times Is 'In The Tank' For Cuomo.  Liz Benjamin theorized that Lazio wants to see Paterson beat Cuomo, for obvious reasons.

"Numerous public opinion polls have shown the well-funded and popular Cuomo easily defeating Lazio, who is less well-known and vastly out-paced by the AG in fundraising.  Those same polls show Lazio would have a far easier time against Paterson, who is embattled and similarly weak in the fundraising department.  Also, it's a safe bet a Lazio v. Paterson contest would be a fairly tame affair, while Cuomo v. anyone is all but certain to be anything but."

Paterson won't beat Cuomo but the minority vote will be in play, perhaps so alienated after a Cuomo-Paterson primary and a Gillibrand-Ford primary for U.S. Senate that Democrats might lose a portion of that base.

And Lazio is playing to that base, as will Harold Ford against Gillibrand, and it wouldn't be impractical for Republicans to run a number of black and Hispanic candidates in key urban districts.

Meanwhile, the Village Voice blog was dripping with sarcasm about the supposed detente between Lazio and Paterson.

Waiting For Andrew: Cuomo's Quixotic Journey Reaches Fork In Road

Andrew Cuomo running for New York State Governor would seem like a natural step.  But there won't be any natural political steps in 2010, for anyone in either major party.

Tom Precious of The Buffalo News had a primer on Cuomo's lofty positioning.

Because Cuomo is not an announced candidate, many Democrats say, he does not have to stake out positions on such controversial and divisive topics. He is the attorney general and can act like that.

"I think certainly Andrew Cuomo is a very smart strategist and he understands the minute you announce your candidacy that every issue that is the governor's issue is his issue," said Assemblyman Mark J.F. Schroeder, a Buffalo Democrat who last year publicly said he was backing a Cuomo candidacy..

How will Republicans beat him?

First he has to beat Governor David Paterson in a primary, though Paterson may have already beaten himself.  Then Cuomo has to beat Albany itself -- or at least find a way to keep its fiscal troubles off his back an entire campaign.

While the Republicans may or may not beat themselves, again, they may also rise to the challenge.

Cuomo seems unbeatable.  Whether you are Rick Lazio or Chris Collins or Steve Levy or anyone else, this won't be Pataki versus Cuomo (1994).  This won't be Cuomo versus Lehrman either (1982) -- or Cuomo vs. Koch (1982).

If he doesn't run, the state's ensuing fiscal collapse will be someone else's problem.  If he does run, win and succeed in solving New York's economic woes, Cuomo could then aim for a White House run by 2016.  But he might be as potent a presidential aspirant staying away from the partisan sinkholes and instead play hero as crime buster as Attorney General.

Many have noted that he didn't stand in the way of Eliot Spitzer's deconstruction but fixing Albany would require more than playing moralist over some hank panky.  The scourge of potential legal and financial scandals would turn Mr. Cuomo into a contemporary Robespierre (not too different from how Spitzer and Giuliani were both regarded as prosecutors).

He will be as hated as he will be beloved.

The next governor has no choice.  This gubernatorial fork in the road, Democrat or Republican, must clean up Albany or face a legacy worse than Chicago.  Cuomo has to beat more than a Republican by November, more than Paterson in a primary, more than the undeserved shadows of his father still lurking around every media corner to bite at his reputation.

Cuomo has to defeat a man named Sheldon Silver, particularly, or the Republicans will capitalize ... and deservedly.  There's a bit more to this political intrigue than one chess game.  Silver has a few decisions to make of his own, as will almost every major Democratic boss in New York State.

Black Democrats and establishment players alike will cringe.  What will be left of the Democratic Party in New York after ten months of vicious spin?  Harold Ford and Kirsten Gillibrand are in the same rowboat, as is Tom DiNapoli -- who actually has to deliver the bad news that New York is broke -- and Attorney General hopeful Jeff Klein (who becomes the new inquisitor and executioner).

Andrew Cuomo can be like any Democrat or demonstrate independence.  The deeper question is how many supposedly "new" Democrats genuinely grasp this choice.  The other question is how lonely it gets once Cuomo walks the road less travelled ...

... If "rank and file" Democrats let him.