Gov. Andrew Cuomo is the personification of everything that's wrong with the Democratic Party.

[Smarmie Doofus]

I stopped contributing to the NYS party about 6-7 years ago because of the quality of the political culture in this state and particularly because of the criminals and mediocrities that the culture... esp. the NYS Dem organization.... was producing. It's only getting worse.

This ran in yesterday's NY Times. Columnist Michael Powell is *very* highly regarded for his integrity, accuracy and bravery.

Background: Due to an exceptional # of high-profile Albany ( mostly in the legislature but some in other branches of the govt.) pols...( mostly DEMs, btw) who were indicted, convicted, copped pleas, resigned because of ethical and legal transgressions over the last few painfully embarrassing years.... Cuomo felt obliged to impanel this Moreland Commission that is supposed to investigate corruption in Albany and follow the trail from there. Almost immediately they wanted to subpoena real estate people who were big Cuomo donors. Cuomo's people weren't happy and the subpoenas were quashed. Now there's talk of disbanding Moreland altogether.

I, for one, am sick of shit like this. Some DEMS are actually proposing Cuomo for the national ticket in 2016. Cuomo is chief among them. (Are you shocked?)

If Cuomo's on the national ticket I'll vote Communist. And forget about $$$ and volunteering.

Can't the national Democratic Party do something about its New York affiliate?

Here's Powell's piece:

>>>“The politicians in Albany won’t like it, but I work for the people, and I won’t stop fighting until we all have a government that we can trust.”
Connect With NYTMetro

— Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, in a commercial shown more than 100 times last summer.

Three months ago, the governor rolled out the Moreland Commission to Investigate Public Corruption, with all of his now-familiar trumpets, drum rolls and rhetorical flourishes.

His commission would be the best, the grandest ever. Anti-corruption, campaign finance, transparency and courage would be its watch words. Commission members salute him.

“Governor Cuomo has made it clear that corruption in New York’s government will not be tolerated,” said Kathleen Rice, the Nassau County district attorney and a chairwoman of the commission.

“Governor Cuomo is taking an aggressive and necessary step to strengthen our laws so that we can more effectively combat corruption,” said William J. Fitzpatrick, the Onondaga district attorney and another chairman.

All hail and all that. Three months later, here come the asterisks.

The commission will never back down.* (*Except when the governor’s aides suggest that subpoenaing the Real Estate Board of New York, which helped lobby for multimillion-dollar special tax abatements, was a rude step too far.)

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/15/nyregion/governors-crusade-against-corruption-comes-with-too-many-asterisks.html

[Smarmie Doofus]

1. 207 Views; 1 rec. No comments. Either I've touched a nerve....

... or they're getting the room ready for me at the Sunshine Home.

I'll grant you, as Democrats, it's hard to know what to make of this. Much less how to respond.

[Ikonoklast]

2. Cuomo is the party's past. I'll never vote for him.

If he really wanted to fight corruption, he can start with many of his own appointees to the Port Authority and Thruway commissions.

Hypocrite and fraud.

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. He seems pretty *present* to me.

And where the F is the opposition? The criticism? Aren't there *any* elected DEM who are willing to cross this man? Sen. Liz Krueger is quoted in the piece but that's *it*.

No, I'm not really surprised so much as angry. That's what I meant about "mediocrity". It's ALL OVER THE STATE PARTY. This was the state party of RFK, FDR, ODwyer, Wagner, Lehman, Abzug, Holtzman, Lowenstein and lots more. People with guts who took risks, talked plain talk and had integrity.

"It's OK folks: just look the other way. Less trouble for everyone that way."

I guess that's the prevailing mentality these days.

I'd write my congressman but it's Eliot Engel. I'd write my state senator but its Jeffrey Klein. ( Look em up, folks.)

Good grief.

[duffyduff]

6. Andrew certainly isn't Mario

He better not be the presidential nominee in 2016. Ditto for Cory Booker being on the national ticket.

[FarCenter]

3. Cuomo can't step on the toes of the big real estate families in New York City

It would be political suicide.

[Smarmie Doofus]

5. Wonderful. Let's leave everything exactly the way it is. n/t