Thursday, March 04, 2010
(Fall of the Roman) Empire State of Mind
POLITICO details the total collapse of New York politics over the last four years. Cover the kids' eyes, folks; it's not a pretty sight. While David Paterson and Charlie Rangel put a decidedly black face on the scent of scandal, major recent players like ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer, former Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, ex-Comptroller Alan Hevesi and expelled Sen. Hiram Monserrate help create a rainbow coalition of a disgraceful political culture.
|
Illinois and New Jersey? Eat our dust!
Labels: New York state politics
Tuesday, March 02, 2010
All The Governor's Men (& Women)
David Paterson's days as chief executive of New York state are numbered. The salient point:
As The Post says today, it's one more nail. Despite his hand-raised declaration last week, David Paterson actually "abused [his] office" by using people under his direct control -- his press secretary, for God's sake to try to get a victim of domestic abuse to change her tale.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out, governor.
|
Gov. David A. Paterson personally directed two state employees to contact the woman who had accused his close aide of assaulting her, according to two people with direct knowledge of the governor’s actions.
Mr. Paterson instructed his press secretary, Marissa Shorenstein, to ask the woman to publicly describe the episode as nonviolent, according to a third person, who was briefed on the matter. That description would contradict the woman’s accounts to the police and in court.
Mr. Paterson also enlisted another state employee, Deneane Brown, a friend of both the governor and the accuser, to make contact with the woman before she was due in court to finalize an order of protection against the aide, David W. Johnson, the two people with direct knowledge said. Ms. Brown, an employee of the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, reached out to the woman on more than one occasion over a period of several days and arranged a phone call between the governor and the woman, Mr. Johnson’s companion.
As The Post says today, it's one more nail. Despite his hand-raised declaration last week, David Paterson actually "abused [his] office" by using people under his direct control -- his press secretary, for God's sake to try to get a victim of domestic abuse to change her tale.
Don't let the door hit you on the way out, governor.
Labels: David Paterson
Monday, March 01, 2010
Ford Doesn't Get Out Of The Driveway...
No New York run against incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand. That only leaves about a half-dozen other prospective opponents for The Appointed One. Ford explains his reasons for not making the race here. Of course, the Times is a funny place to deliver his op-ed given that the Gray Lady's interview with Ford helped torpedo the effort before it began. That's not blaming the Times: Ford shouldn't have given the interview if he wasn't prepared. However, his piece is an odd return to the scene of the crime.
So, no statewide run for Ford right now. Before everyone writes his permanent obituary in New York politics, keep in mind that not long ago, another scion of a political family tried to "jump the line" and run for a top statewide office before he was ready. Eight years later, that man is now the odds-on favorite to be New York's next governor.
Yes, there are a lot of differences between Ford and Andrew Cuomo (not the least of which is that the latter is a lifelong New Yorker), but it's not a completely inapproprate comparison.
|
So, no statewide run for Ford right now. Before everyone writes his permanent obituary in New York politics, keep in mind that not long ago, another scion of a political family tried to "jump the line" and run for a top statewide office before he was ready. Eight years later, that man is now the odds-on favorite to be New York's next governor.
Yes, there are a lot of differences between Ford and Andrew Cuomo (not the least of which is that the latter is a lifelong New Yorker), but it's not a completely inapproprate comparison.
Labels: Harold Ford, Kirsten Gillibrand
