If New York State Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, were go on American Idol, what song would he sing? Easy, “I Shot the Sheriff.” The New York Times:
ALBANY, July 23 — Gov. Eliot Spitzer indefinitely suspended his communications director and reassigned another top official today after Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo‘s office issued a scathing report accusing the governor’s staff of using the State Police for political purposes
Cuomo in one play has diminished New York State Governor, Eliot Spitzer’s reputation and at the same time helped his standing with the state republcans. Not bad for an attorney general who wants to be governor.
Lindsay Beyerstein, Majikthise, blogs:
Spitzer is an incredibly smart, vigilant, and well-connected individual. I can’t believe that the governor’s senior staffers could have undertaken such a project without his acquiescence. If Spitzer didn’t know his administration was misusing the State Police and misrepresenting media freedom of information requests to monitor his main political rival, it was because he didn’t want to know.
Lindsay you forgot arrogant and ambitious.
Tags: BitsBlog, Corruption, Democrats
July 24th, 2007 at 9:18
There is something inherently abhorrent in any situation which places Andrew Cuomo as the moral law abiding and less power grabbing individual. AG has always meant in this state, “Aspiring Governor”, as Spitzer himself has shown, most recently. But never quite so blatantly as this.
The legal beef that Cuomo has with the governor is a legit one. But I have to wonder in all candor whether or not Cuomo would be bringing this case if he were not after Spitzer’s job.
Consider the evidence before us; Spitzer has developed a reputation of playing political hardball of the kind in Cuomo’s complaint. It’s how he managed to make it to the top in Democratic circles, here in NY. His attack on Bruno if the reputation is anywhere near accurate, cannot possibly be his first such. So, why is this the first time such charges have been brought against him?
One can only surmise that this was a bit of political opportunism on the part of Cuomo. And, certainly, that was in response to a bit of political opportunism on the part of Eliot Spitzer. The average citizen probably never thinks about it very much, but if they did, they would perhaps wonder if this is standard fare when democrats are in power.
July 24th, 2007 at 10:14
If the parties were reversed, and the venue was Washington, not Albany, both Henry Waxman and Pat Leaky would racing to schedules hearings, and subpeona the [former] aides. Bruno should take a clue.
July 24th, 2007 at 22:42
The only problem with that, is that Bruno will find himself with Cuomo as his unlikely ally.