Patterico's Pontifications

3/1/2021

The Drip, Drip, Drip, on Andrew Cuomo’s Political Future

Filed under: General — JVW @ 7:59 pm



[guest post by JVW]

Emmy-award winning governor Andrew Cuomo of New York seems to be dying a death of one thousand cuts (oh, there I go again mixing up metaphors from what I used in the title) as more allegations of sexual harassment and bullying begin to emerge. Five days ago, former Cuomo aide Lindsay Boylan published a Medium post adding details to a series of Tweets that she first Tweeted out in December, directly accusing the governor of objectifying her, inappropriately placing his hands on her, and making crude suggestions and innuendo, including one that he probably learned from his former boss. Ms. Boylan relates the story of being summoned alone into the governor’s office one evening:

I was escorted into the Governor’s office, past the desks of administrative assistants and into a room with a large table and historical artifacts. The door closed behind me. It was my first time in his Albany office. The Governor entered the room from another door. We were alone.

As he showed me around, I tried to maintain my distance. He paused at one point and smirked as he showed off a cigar box. He told me that President Clinton had given it to him while he served as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The two-decade old reference to President Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky was not lost on me.

Class act that guy is. According to Ms. Boylan, this behavior culminated in the governor giving her an unwanted kiss on the lips one day in 2018. Ms. Boylan would resign from her post that September. After she Tweeted about his behavior in December, Ms. Boylan says that two other female former Cuomo staffers contacted her to relate similar experiences.

And perhaps one of them was Charlotte Bennett, who last week accused the governor of prying into her romantic life, informing her that he was open to the idea of dating women in their 20s (Ms. Bennett is 25, the same age as one of the governor’s daughters; Gov. Cuomo is 63), and generally leaving her with the impression that he longed for a bit of the ol’ hey-hey with her. Though the governor apparently at no point made physical contact with Ms. Bennett (all of this took place this past spring, as coronavirus was ravaging the Empire State), he did speak to her about his loneliness since his last relationship ended in 2019 and expressed the desire to be able to hug somebody, with Ms. Bennett understanding that she was expected to volunteer for the role (instead, she parried his clumsy advance). He also, according to Ms. Bennett, fixated upon the fact that she was a past sexual assault victim in a way which made her uncomfortable.

And just today came yet another accusation from an attractive young woman, though this time it is a member of the media rather than an ex-staffer, this time it is an allegation lodged against the Cuomo team as a whole rather than against the governor personally, and this time it pertains to bullying — an practice in which the governor and his administration have a long and ignoble history — rather than sexual harassment. Here is her story via Twitter:

Sure, it’s not nearly as aggravating as the behavior to which Ms. Boylan and Ms. Bennett were subjected, but it does give us a pretty decent insight into the mindset that permeates the Cuomo Administration, and this, in my opinion, makes it far easier to view the allegations from the other two women as being highly probable.

The governor seems to understand that this problem isn’t going away (and we have thus far made no mention of the avalanche of bad publicity that is finally catching up with his wrongheaded and dishonest handing of the COVID situation this past spring), and is taking tentative steps to repair his image. While continuing to deny inappropriate physical contact with his two accusers, he does concede that his remarks are sometimes “insensitive and too personal” and that they are easily misconstrued “in ways I never intended.” He officially apologized to the women, while still insisting that his remarks have been “misinterpreted.”

But it may be too late. Republicans understandably mostly loathe the governor and have no real interest in throwing him a lifeline, and there are a number of ambitious Democrats in New York who would love to see Andrew Cuomo take early retirement so that the corner office in Albany is in play two years from how. State Attorney General Letitia James, who is already needling the governor on the COVID situation, has opened an investigation into the women’s allegations. Mayor Bill de Blasio, happy that there is at last another New York politician (and one with whom he has had a frosty relationship) who is the focus of New Yorkers’ ire, is gleefully twisting the knife. Even a nominal ally like Hillary Clinton is beginning to distance herself from the guy, though it could be that Mrs./Sen./Sec. Clinton took special umbrage over the governor’s alleged reference to her husband, cigars, and staffers. Keeping in character, Kirsten Gillibrand tried to dodge the issue last Thursday by claiming that she hadn’t yet had a chance to read Ms. Boylan’s essay, but earlier today joined with her Senate colleague Chuck Schumer (now, amazingly, the least detestable Democrat politician in New York) in calling for “an impartial investigation” (politician-speak for “it’s OK if you find him guilty”).

Since I am so good at making completely wrong predictions, here’s one: This all ends not with Cuomo resigning from office, but with an announcement that he won’t be running for reelection in 2022 and that he wants to spend his last two years in office leading New York back from the wreckage wrought by the pandemic. In return, Attorney General James’s investigation will determine that the governor is guilty of being too jocular and insensitive with staff, but she will make no determination as to whether Ms. Boyland’s allegation of physical contact is credible. The former governor can then join his brother for a nightly three-hour news/opinion/comedy/dance/debate program on CNN called “Sonny and Fredo: Real New Yorkers.”

Andrew Cuomo, like Donald Trump, Barack Obama, Ted Cruz, Hillary Clinton, and others, remind us the folly of investing too much faith in any particular politician to always conduct him or herself with discretion and dignity. I won’t be sorry to see him go, but also won’t be surprised if what ends up replacing him is in so many ways worse.

UPDATE – From nk comes this report in the New York Times about Cuomo behaving boorishly to a guest at a wedding the governor attended. It includes a picture which partially corroborates the wedding guest’s allegations that Cuomo touched her bare back, placed both hands on her cheeks, and asked her for a kiss.

– JVW

52 Responses to “The Drip, Drip, Drip, on Andrew Cuomo’s Political Future”

  1. One thing we can almost take to the bank is that the GOP will be too busy shooting itself in the foot to offer up a credible candidate for Governor of New York in 2022.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  2. I note in passing that when the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh came out, pretty much everybody who knew the man was quick to say “this is not the Brett Kavanaugh that I know today, and it isn’t really the Brett Kavanaugh that I knew 35 years ago either.” Contrast that to today when pretty much everybody who knows Andrew Cuomo, friend and foe alike, is giving off a vibe of, “Yeah, this sounds like something that Andy would do.”

    JVW (ee64e4)

  3. And now there’s this story, too. 2,400 hundred years before William James and Sigmund Freud, King Leonidas of Sparta had a laconic comment about people who seek power over other people.

    nk (1d9030)

  4. Jeeze, I can’t even keep up with all of it. Thanks nk.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  5. UPDATE – From nk comes this report in the New York Times about Cuomo behaving boorishly to a guest at a wedding the governor attended. It includes a picture which partially corroborates the wedding guest’s allegations that Cuomo touched her bare back, placed both hands on her cheeks, and asked her for a kiss.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  6. He’s going to try and pull a Ralph Northam. We will see if it works. If the press rallies behind him, he’ll last. I know his brother will do his part.

    Will the leftist women’s orgs claim it’s the woman’s duty to do whatever for him like they did with Clinton?

    NJRob (eb56c3)

  7. Coumo’s problem is the left hates him as much as the right and he has been bullying those in the middle. A picture is worth a thousand words. Over at democratic underground where democrat leaders are defended there is a real cat fight going on with attacks on those who question cuomo’s actions.

    asset (282fb1)

  8. Ah, come on. Give Governor Cuomo a break. After all, he fell out of the ugly tree, and hit every branch on the way down.

    He just wants a little female attention. That’s all.

    norcal (01e272)

  9. Wonder how many times Andrew has spun in the last 9 years?

    mg (8cbc69)

  10. i don’t like these political cheap shots on a governor who selflessly enacted regulations to protect our first responders and keep New York hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, but at least you described him as “Emmy winning.”

    Name the last time a Republican won an Emmy.

    Hoi Polloi (b28058)

  11. He’s going to try and pull a Ralph Northam.

    Dress in blackface?

    Hoi Polloi (b28058)

  12. AP and fox are reporting that a lot of Dems are calling for Cuomo to resign.

    I believe in due process but at this point I’m going to be surprised if the results of that process exonerate the governor. Not necessarily from a legal standpoint. So far I haven’t seen allegations that what he did was criminal so much as unethical immoral, and disqualifying for higher office.

    Time123 (ae9d89)

  13. If being a rancid jagoff disqualified a New Yorker from holding public office, New York would have no government at all.

    nk (1d9030)

  14. Keeping in character, Kirsten Gillibrand tried to dodge the issue last Thursday by claiming that she hadn’t yet had a chance to read Ms. Boylan’s essay, but earlier today joined with her Senate colleague Chuck Schumer (now, amazingly, the least detestable Democrat politician in New York) in calling for “an impartial investigation” (politician-speak for “it’s OK if you find him guilty”).

    Medium Post went up on Thursday 2/25.
    NY Post publishes a report at 10AM on 2/26 that Gillibrand said she hasn’t read the account yet.
    On Sunday Gillibrand emails Fox news and says there should be in independent investigation of the allegations.

    How is this dodging the issue?

    Time123 (ae9d89)

  15. Cuomo has enough enemies in the Democratic Party to bring him down and his going down would not give any benefit to Republicans. That makes it unlike the situation in Virginia, which I think JVW has in mind. Cuomo’s activity is recent and ongoing. Northam’s sin was a long time ago.

    Appalled (1a17de)

  16. Cuomo has enough enemies in the Democratic Party to bring him down and his going down would not give any benefit to Republicans. That makes it unlike the situation in Virginia, which I think JVW has in mind. Cuomo’s activity is recent and ongoing. Northam’s sin was a long time ago.

    Appalled (1a17de) — 3/2/2021 @ 6:34 am

    There’s huge difference between someone doing something stupid and offensive in college 20 years ago and an ongoing pattern of sexual harassments.

    Time123 (b0628d)

  17. Cuomo has enough enemies in the Democratic Party to bring him down and his going down would not give any benefit to Republicans. That makes it unlike the situation in Virginia, which I think JVW has in mind. Cuomo’s activity is recent and ongoing. Northam’s sin was a long time ago.

    What Northam did was stupid and ignorant, yet in that time and place, wholly acceptable. Obviously, that doesn’t make it right. But it is completely different than a very prominent and powerful man, who was clearly stronger and taller than the young woman, putting his hands on her bared back, and then holding her face and asking if he could kiss her. He physically restrained her to some degree with the position of his hands, and if you look at the cringe-inducing photo of the scene, the young woman was clearly upset. The situations are not comparable.

    It is an interesting predicament for Democrats. There was an outcry (and rightly so) by Democrats that Trump was not held accountable for allegations of sexual harassment/assault, and now, Cuomo is facing three accusations. Will the Dems put their money where their mouth is? IOW, how valuable to the Democratic Party is Cuomo? While Republicans clearly didn’t care about Trump’s boorish behavior, will New York Democrats care about Cuomo’s? And how ironic it would be if the Democrats took the moral high ground on this, while the Republicans have…Trump.

    Dana (fd537d)

  18. Another thing, given that Cuomo felt comfortable making such an aggressive and inappropriate move on a young woman in front of the wedding guests, indicates to me that he, not only had behaved like this before but had been successful in getting the kiss he wanted. How many women had this creeper approached and pushed for a kiss while inappropriately touching them, and they felt trapped and panicked and gave in? How many were afraid of him because of his position of power? If a powerful man like Cuomo is willing to do that to a woman he wants in full view of others, I can only imagine what he would do when drawn to a young woman with no one else around. It was clearly an abuse of his power and position.

    Dana (fd537d)

  19. The video of Cuomo asking the female reporter to eat the whole sausage? He looks like a predator. Not a sexual predator – just a flat-out predator.

    I can’t imagine how much worse he would have been had he not been sitting next to his own daughter.

    Hoi Polloi (7cefeb)

  20. Cuomo has enough enemies in the Democratic Party to bring him down and his going down would not give any benefit to Republicans. That makes it unlike the situation in Virginia, which I think JVW has in mind. Cuomo’s activity is recent and ongoing. Northam’s sin was a long time ago.

    What Northam did was stupid and ignorant, yet in that time and place, wholly acceptable. Obviously, that doesn’t make it right. But it is completely different than a very prominent and powerful man, who was clearly stronger and taller than the young woman, putting his hands on her bared back, and then holding her face and asking if he could kiss her. He physically restrained her to some degree with the position of his hands, and if you look at the cringe-inducing photo of the scene, the young woman was clearly upset. The situations are not comparable.

    It is an interesting predicament for Democrats. There was an outcry (and rightly so) by Democrats that Trump was not held accountable for allegations of sexual harassment/assault, and now, Cuomo is facing three accusations. Will the Dems put their money where their mouth is? IOW, how valuable to the Democratic Party is Cuomo? While Republicans clearly didn’t care about Trump’s boorish behavior, will New York Democrats care about Cuomo’s? And how ironic it would be if the Democrats took the moral high ground on this, while the Republicans have…Trump.

    Dana (fd537d) — 3/2/2021 @ 7:59 am

    Story Broke 5 days ago and the state senators called for an independent investigation 2 days ago. Doesn’t seem like his political allies are stretching to help him. They seem to be taking a reasonable amount of time to understand the accusations, which I doubt they’d do for a political opponent, but that’s about it.

    My money is that this will bring him down. He might be able to finish his term if nothing criminal comes to light, but that’s his best case scenario and his career is over.

    (Obvious disclaimer that he’s entitled to due process and we should be open to the evidence etc. etc.)

    Time123 (ae9d89)

  21. The video of Cuomo asking the female reporter to eat the whole sausage? He looks like a predator. Not a sexual predator – just a flat-out predator.

    I can’t imagine how much worse he would have been had he not been sitting next to his own daughter.

    Hoi Polloi (7cefeb) — 3/2/2021 @ 8:23 am

    If this gets any worse he’ll have to switch is party allegiance to GOP.

    Time123 (ae9d89)

  22. The reporter herself then jumped to Gov. Cuomo’s defense Monday morning, as the video went viral.

    “I was not pressured/harassed this is two people enjoying the one event – the NYS fair – that gives them a little more freedom to be informal,” Cefalu tweeted.

    “It’s really sad it’s being turned into anything more.”

    https://nypost.com/2021/03/01/cuomo-accused-of-pressuring-reporter-to-eat-whole-sausage-in-video/

    Good thing he didn’t make an origami fish for her, like I did way back when a bunch of Patterico commenters got together for pizza and beer near Chicago. (I’m the only one left still commenting here.)

    Like NJRob said on the other thread, let’s apply the brake a little bit.

    nk (1d9030)

  23. I don’t know what “apply the brake a little bit” means in context to this story. I will say, however, that if Cefalu says no big deal, that does not invalidate or diminish the other women’s allegations. An independent investigation must be done.

    Dana (fd537d)

  24. I don’t know what “apply the brake a little bit” means in context to this story. I will say, however, that if Cefalu says no big deal, that does not invalidate or diminish the other women’s allegations. An independent investigation must be done.

    Dana (fd537d) — 3/2/2021 @ 8:45 am

    I think the big change from the MeToo movement is that an independent investigation has become the baseline response for when public figures are accused. The noises about if it’s necessary are muted and even political allies public support such an investigation. Interesting to see how this one plays out. I think Cuomo is the first post MeToo dem that fits the pattern of an initial allegation being followed by several additional accusers. Tara Ried accused Biden of harassment & assault, but no one else came forward.

    Time123 (ae9d89)

  25. I don’t know what “apply the brake a little bit” means in context to this story.

    Hoi Polloi’s comment at 19 echoed by Time123’s comment at 21:

    The video of Cuomo asking the female reporter to eat the whole sausage? He looks like a predator. Not a sexual predator – just a flat-out predator.

    I can’t imagine how much worse he would have been had he not been sitting next to his own daughter.

    I will say, however, that if Cefalu says no big deal, that does not invalidate or diminish the other women’s allegations.

    I agree.

    nk (1d9030)

  26. Al Franken was first.

    nk (1d9030)

  27. I don’t get this boorish behavior by men these days, but it seems to be pretty widespread. I think it’s just stupid.

    Maybe it’s a recent cultural thing in response to feminism, but men have forgotten or not learned how to interpret signals from women. At the same time, women sometimes send out signals that can be misinterpreted. It’s a complicated issue, how men and women interact, but in reality it’s very simple.

    In Western cultures, women perform a specific pattern of behaviors when attracted to a man. It’s entirely leaned behavior–young girls observe how older girls interact with boys and learn how to attract them. In Eastern cultures, women do not perform this specific pattern of behaviors, rather they have their own set of rules as it were. However, here in the West, if you go anywhere men and women may congregate–a mall, a nightclub, a festival, wherever–and just observe, you will see it.

    Very basically, it goes like this. Girl sees boy, or woman sees man. If she likes him, she will smile and show him the palm of her hand. She smiles to indicate that she’s not threatening. It may be something as simple as a wave or the way she brushes her hair over her ear, but she will show him the palm of her hand to indicate that she’s not carrying a weapon. That means she’s approachable.

    So, the two meet and strike up a conversation. A handshake is a good way to start, because that initial physical contact is very important. What to talk about? Oh, nothing really, it’s just a get to know you conversation. “It’s always a pleasure to meet a young lady,” always works as a beginning.

    This is extremely important. There are no pick up lines, because men do not pick up women, rather women pick out men. Clumsy come ons and inept innuendoes do not work, because she’s been putting up with that nonsense practically all her life, and she will shut you down. A light hearted conversation and self-deprecating humor work best. The thing is that you don’t talk to her, you talk with her, or actually you let her do most of the talking. Tilt your head slightly to the left, and concentrate on the bridge of her nose. To her, it seems like you’re looking in her eyes and actually listening to her, but you’re not. What you’re doing is paying attention to her facial expressions, gesticulations and tone of voice, identifying the emotion she’s experiencing and responding to that. Talking with a woman is really very easy, simply say “so what you’re telling me is . . .” then repeat what she just said in paraphrase. Now, if she’s interested in him, she will touch his arm. That means she’s available.

    They agree to a date. And what is a date exactly? It’s an escape, a mini-vacation. What are you going to do at home? Chores. What are you going to do at school? Assignments. What are you going to do at work? Tasks. It’s all so boring. What are you going to do on a date? Get away and have fun, enjoy life and your brief time together.

    As a first date, simple coffee break or a light lunch is best, somewhere out in the open so she doesn’t feel threatened. No assumptions, no pre-conditions, no expectations or propositions. Just a man and a woman on a date, enjoying life and each other’s company. You’re still in the getting to know you phase, so take it slow. Dinner, drinks and dancing come later. When you sit together, do not sit across from her, because that’s confrontational. Rather, sit to her left, the side closest to her heart. Continue to pay attention to her facial expressions, gesticulations and tone of voice, tilt your head to the left and pretend to listen to her. Words are irrelevant at this point. It’s all about identifying the emotion she’s experiencing and responding to it. Let her think you’re a good listener and really care about what she’s feeling. That’s the way you do it. A romance must be built over time. Now, when she wants to get intimate, she will touch his leg. That means she’s agreeable.

    Take her to a hotel. Do not take her back to your place, because she’ll start trying to move in. Whatever you do, do not go back to her place, because it implies something you don’t want to imply, that you’re not an independent man. No, take her to a hotel. We’re talking Super Bowl here, and where is the championship game played? On neutral grounds. Living together comes much later, when it is mutually consensual.

    These are the rules of romance, the three A’s–approachable (a smile and an open palm), available (a touch on the arm), agreeable (a touch on the leg). If you don’t get those signals, do not even think about coming on to her. Oogling, groping, unwanted advances, demands, are completely unacceptable. She will completely humiliate and destroy you.

    This is what modern men apparently fail to understand about women. Females are vicious. They don’t fight to prove something, as males do. They fight to hurt, psychologically more that physically. In nature, the female of the species is almost always bigger and more powerful than the male. That’s why males do not exhibit aggression toward females in nature–it would be a death sentence. Rape and violence toward females is virtually nonexistent in the animal kingdom, except among humans. That’s why women have to be wary, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t powerful.

    These guys today are asking for it, and they will regret it. There are rules in romance, and if you follow them, she will love you with an intensity you cannot comprehend. If you do not, she will hurt you in ways you cannot imagine–bankruptcy, humiliation, loss of reputation, and that’s just to begin with.

    Gawain's Ghost (b25cd1)

  28. GG spittin’ game!!

    urbanleftbehind (7e0374)

  29. If this gets any worse he’ll have to switch is party allegiance to GOP.

    Time123 (ae9d89) — 3/2/2021 @ 8:25 am

    He can join the Bill Clinton Wing of the GOP.

    Hoi Polloi (15cfac)

  30. Medium Post went up on Thursday 2/25.
    NY Post publishes a report at 10AM on 2/26 that Gillibrand said she hasn’t read the account yet.
    On Sunday Gillibrand emails Fox news and says there should be in independent investigation of the allegations.

    Medium post went up on Wednesday, though I can’t tell what time. Sen. Gillibrand was asked about it on Thursday afternoon, according to the NY Post, who published the account later that day. And she apparently doesn’t get around to reading the post and following up on Fox News’s question until Sunday. I mean, is it too much to ask our elected officials to work on Friday these days?

    Politics is a gossipy industry, and I would imagine New York politics is even more so than most states. To believe that Sen. Gillibrand hadn’t gotten around to reading the post (Medium helpfully tells us it’s an eight minute read) around 24 hours later nor discussed it with her staff suggests that she was willfully keeping herself in the dark. Or else just lying about it. Either way, her excuse strains credulity. It’s said that she has come to regret being on the vanguard of demanding Al Franken’s resignation because it angered party pooh-bahs who had hoped to manage that crisis, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she decided to lie low in the background until other New York Democrats have determined Governor Cuomo’s fate.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  31. Gawain’s Ghost (b25cd1) — 3/2/2021 @ 9:17 am

    This is an awesome comment.

    Of course the governor isn’t at all interested in dating and courting these young women; he simply wants physical favors from them.

    Dana pointed out that for every strikeout Governor Cuomo had with a Ms. Boylan or a Ms. Bennett, there was likely some unfortunate young woman who gave in to his crude advances. Though I would certainly like to believe that Asshole Andy is oh-fer in his ugly attempts at seduction. Maybe the next shoe to drop will be a staffer or ex-staffer who comes forth and admits to some sort of liaison with the governor. If that comes to pass then I will revise my prediction and bet that he will be out on his rear end post haste.

    JVW (ee64e4)

  32. Social interaction rules for NY and NJ seem to be more accepting of aggressive behaviors than they are in the rest of the country. I wonder if that helped Cuomo (Trump, Weinstein, etc.) get away with his behavior, if maybe he looked a little over top but not so much that anyone felt the need to call him out while the rest of the country can look at that same behavior and go “yeah, not OK.” pretty much immediately.

    Nic (896fdf)

  33. I’m both enthused about the possibility of getting rid of this guy and underwhelmed by the charges. He’s a bore and a lout, and a boss who takes advantage of his position to try and score with attractive women working for him, and i think we can assume that his brilliantly seductive moves have actually sometimes succeeded for him, in spite of these 2-3-4 flame outs. He’s a vile person, and he would be fired if he was one of your employees taking advantage of women working under him, but he’s also an elected official. Single too, right? Ask yourself: is what has been charged really suitable for a criminal investigation? Is that all it takes, a woman claiming that there was an inappropriate physical touching? Why don’t we instead reopen the investigation of the guy, referred to as Cuomo’s son, who is doing real time for corruption, an investigation that Cuomo quashed? That was clearly a criminal matter. The me too movement has gotten out of hand, and when it gets over its skis constantly, as here, it makes a mockery of real atrocities, like Trump, Weinstein, et al. I’m glad that at least Cuomo gets a hearing before sentence is imposed; Franken didn’t. And best of all, we are spared a presidential run in 2024. There’s that I suppose.

    J Dalessandro (adf12f)

  34. Gawain’s Ghost,

    Your comments are always rich and satisfying, but you outdid yourself this time. That was simply epic. I anticipate putting your advice into practice as I resume my dating adventures.

    norcal (01e272)

  35. I have something to say today. pic.twitter.com/qz0EkC5cD5

    — Lindsay Nielsen (@Lindsayon10) February 28, 2021

    “So do I: ‘It’s a line drive to left by Cleon Jones scoring Kranepool from third and the Mets take the lead here at Shea in the sixth, 3 to 2.’ – Lindsey Nelson, deadMetssportscaster.org

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  36. JVW,

    Have you considered that Senator Gillibrand was hesitant to weigh in because she has come to see the virtues of federalism, and doesn’t want to comment on a state government matter?

    norcal (01e272)

  37. As a former registered Democrat in New York (during Cuomo’s time in office, no less): he should resign, and if he fails to do so, the legislature should impeach him.

    aphrael (4c4719)

  38. Medium Post went up on Thursday 2/25.
    NY Post publishes a report at 10AM on 2/26 that Gillibrand said she hasn’t read the account yet.
    On Sunday Gillibrand emails Fox news and says there should be in independent investigation of the allegations.

    Medium post went up on Wednesday, though I can’t tell what time. Sen. Gillibrand was asked about it on Thursday afternoon, according to the NY Post, who published the account later that day. And she apparently doesn’t get around to reading the post and following up on Fox News’s question until Sunday. I mean, is it too much to ask our elected officials to work on Friday these days?

    Politics is a gossipy industry, and I would imagine New York politics is even more so than most states. To believe that Sen. Gillibrand hadn’t gotten around to reading the post (Medium helpfully tells us it’s an eight minute read) around 24 hours later nor discussed it with her staff suggests that she was willfully keeping herself in the dark. Or else just lying about it. Either way, her excuse strains credulity. It’s said that she has come to regret being on the vanguard of demanding Al Franken’s resignation because it angered party pooh-bahs who had hoped to manage that crisis, so it wouldn’t surprise me at all if she decided to lie low in the background until other New York Democrats have determined Governor Cuomo’s fate.

    JVW (ee64e4) — 3/2/2021 @ 9:38 am

    The dates I found when i checked the articles were slightly off what you’re showing. This morning it said the medium post was 5 days ago. Now it says 6. But I don’t think that your times really change my point. If we use your timing is it really hard to believe that a US senator wanted to take 1 (my timing) or 2 (your timing) working days to make sure they understand the details before commenting on allegations that the governor of their state was sexually harassing staff?

    YMMV but that doesn’t seem like an unreasonable amount of time get facts and think about what to say.

    Time123 (6e0727)

  39. If this gets any worse he’ll have to switch is party allegiance to GOP.

    Time123 (ae9d89) — 3/2/2021 @ 8:25 am

    He can join the Bill Clinton Wing of the GOP.

    Hoi Polloi (15cfac) — 3/2/2021 @ 9:33 am

    OK Boomer.

    Time123 (52fb0e)

  40. Good grief!

    nk (1d9030)

  41. And to think that Cuomo was briefly considered as a replacement for Biden.

    Whatever happened to stalwart figures like New Jersey’s Jon Corzine and Chris Christie.

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  42. Name the last time a Republican won an Emmy.

    Bill Cosby?

    Kevin M (ab1c11)

  43. Name the last time a Republican won an Emmy.

    Pat Sajak, Ben Stein, Drew Carey… Hope, Crosby… etc., etc., this is easy to look up.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  44. Mario, Mario– where for art thou, Mario…

    The mammoth is in the tarpit.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  45. His presser today was a disaster.

    DCSCA (f4c5e5)

  46. New York Gvernor Andrew Cuomo said something in public today, for the first time in a week. It’s national headlines now. It was on the CBS Evening News. His voice didn’t sound so good. He said he apologized for making anyone feel uncomfortable but said again he never touched anyone, which doesn’t seem to be 100% true. 98.5% true maybe, but not 100%

    They’re going to take away a lot of his pandemic superpowers.

    Some people are trying to connect the nursing home edict to nursing homes supposedly benefiting from that but the lobby he has been lose to is the one for hospitals. Sometimes they put the pieces of the puzzle together wrong. Maybe a bad version was leaked by the actual guilty parties.

    One of the things they are complaining about is the inclusion in a bill that retroactively (in May) that retroactively RELIEVED NURSING HOMES OF ANY LIABILITY for mismanaging coronavirus back to March 7. Nobody can sue. Now that could have sounded reasonable, but with limits, and the state should have taken over liability, like the 9/11 victims fund.

    his last relationship ended in 2019

    It became official then, but he and Sandra Lee probably really broke up a little earlier.

    Since I am so good at making completely wrong predictions, here’s one: This all ends not with Cuomo resigning from office, but with an announcement that he won’t be running for reelection in 2022

    That sounds like the most likely outcome. but Cuomo wouldn’t announce that now. He’ll see first how this plays out.

    Sammy Finkelman (6c2cdd)

  47. Patricia Heaton and Kelsey Grammer in the early 00s. And dont give Cosby undue credit just because he gave one pants sagging unpronouncable birth names speech.

    urbanleftbehind (cc997c)

  48. J Dalessandro (adf12f) — 3/2/2021 @ 2:34 pm

    i think we can assume that his brilliantly seductive moves have actually sometimes succeeded for him, in spite of these 2-3-4 flame outs.

    I always want to hear of cases where what a politician did worked, because that makes it credible. What Anthony Weiner did is said to have worked with Huma Abedin. This element is always the missing part of the story.

    Ask yourself: is what has been charged really suitable for a criminal investigation?

    I don’t think anything that;s a crime has been alleged, and it doesn’t amount to sexual harassment either.

    Why don’t we instead reopen the investigation of the guy, referred to as Cuomo’s son, who is doing real time for corruption, an investigation that Cuomo quashed? That was clearly a criminal matter.

    There’s more on this:

    https://nypost.com/2021/02/22/cuomos-office-terrorized-me-for-doing-my-job-as-a-journalist

    It was 4:30 a.m., so I pulled the bathroom door shut in my one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment to answer the phone without waking my then-5-year-old. On the line was Melissa DeRosa, Gov. Cuomo’s then-communications director, now his second-in-command. She was threatening to destroy me.

    By now, thanks to Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim blowing the whistle on the threats he received in a call from Cuomo, the public has a glimpse of the bullying practiced by the governor and his top brass.It was 4:30 a.m., so I pulled the bathroom door shut in my one-bedroom Brooklyn apartment to answer the phone without waking my then-5-year-old. On the line was Melissa DeRosa, Gov. Cuomo’s then-communications director, now his second-in-command. She was threatening to destroy me.

    By now, thanks to Queens Assemblyman Ron Kim blowing the whistle on the threats he received in a call from Cuomo, the public has a glimpse of the bullying practiced by the governor and his top brass….

    ….While the April 2014 call I received from DeRosa didn’t come directly from the governor, I knew it bore the full weight of his power. City & State, the New York politics magazine I edited at the time, was about to publish a story exposing Cuomo’s machinations to distort the final report issued by the Moreland Commission on Public Corruption.

    The manipulation we documented put the lie to the governor’s public proclamation that it would be a fully independent body with the authority to probe graft in Albany wherever it found it. In reality, as soon as the commission touched the governor’s own office, he hastily shut it down.

    I started getting pushback from the governor’s office as soon as we called requesting comment. In a barrage of calls, his media handlers pushed me to spike the article, alternately approaching me with carrot (a hot exclusive to be named later) and stick. By 4:30 a.m. — our piece was scheduled to publish at 5 — I was only getting the stick.

    Seven years later, I don’t recall precisely everything DeRosa hurled at me, though I’m positive she vowed to “destroy” my career and take revenge on my publication. I remember vividly how I felt: scared.

    Sammy Finkelman (6c2cdd)

  49. And best of all, we are spared a presidential run in 2024. There’s that I suppose.

    I think that wasn’t going to happen anyway, because Andrew Cuomo knew he couldn’t stand up to scrutiny. But anything short of running for president, or possibly, seeking Senate conformation, was OK.

    Mario also didn’t want the scrutiny in 1992 also, I think. I don’t know about what. Besides the disingenuousness they shared, but that’s hard for anyone to put a finger on. He didn’t really have anything to do with the Mafia. Rudy Giuliani had more.

    Sammy Finkelman (6c2cdd)

  50. 10. 42. 43. But when did a Republican, or anyone else, win an Emmy for press briefings?

    This isn’t even in any Emmy category – or wouldn’t usually be.

    Sammy Finkelman (6c2cdd)

  51. This appears to be the incident Governor Andrew Cuomo acknowledged snd sapologized for and said he was embarrassed by it:

    ….Charlotte Bennett, who last week accused the governor of prying into her romantic life, informing her that he was open to the idea of dating women in their 20s (Ms. Bennett is 25, the same age as one of the governor’s daughters; Gov. Cuomo is 63), and generally leaving her with the impression that he longed for a bit of the ol’ hey-hey with her. Though the governor apparently at no point made physical contact with Ms. Bennett (all of this took place this past spring, as coronavirus was ravaging the Empire State), he did speak to her about his loneliness since his last relationship ended in 2019 and expressed the desire to be able to hug somebody, with Ms. Bennett understanding that she was expected to volunteer for the role (instead, she parried his clumsy advance). He also, according to Ms. Bennett, fixated upon the fact that she was a past sexual assault victim in a way which made her uncomfortable.

    The one where he put his hand on a woman’s back – which is on tape but it may not be clear what the tape shows – and he says that both he and his father kissed people, both men and women – that way.

    With Lindsay Boylan he may be denying it – at least all of what she said. You’ll have to judge that based on her truthfulness on other matters and to the extent it is corroborated where it should be corroborated. Se is the one who said the Governor was calling her Lisa and suggested on a airplane that they play strip poker.

    No one is paying attention to the incident from 2016, where he was encouraging a female reporter to eat a big sausauge.

    Sammy Finkelman (19c914)

  52. The worst thing governor Andrew Cuomo did as Governor is not what he did with several women; it is not his mendacious way of arguing; it is not dissolving and dismissing the Moreland Commission; it is not his order to admit recovering coronavirus patients in the spring of 2020 into nursing homes, but it is his not vetoing that bill that changed bail laws in New York State in 2019.

    Even though that can be characterized as a policy decision rather than an ethical or moral one. it wasn’t really though/ for political reasons, Cuomo went along with a very bad, albeit superficially plausible idea, of the far left of the Democratic Party. He had to know it was wrong.

    Sammy Finkelman (09d1ac)


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