On September 18, following Bill DeBlasio’s resounding win in the New York City Democratic Primary, Governor Andrew Cuomo endorsed him for re-election.
Sort of.
The topic of the endorsement came up during an interview with Cuomo on WNYC when Brian Lehrer specifically asked Cuomo if he would make an endorsement.
Cuomo’s response was that, “I am a Democrat. I support Democrats, and I’ll be support Mayor DE Blasio in the general.”
Lehrer found this to be less that overwhelming and followed up with a question, “Only because he’s a Democrat in that general kind of way? Nothing more enthusiastic than that?”
Cuomo doubled down on his anemic endorsement, replying, “No, I think in this contest, life is options, they say, right? I think in this contest, he is the better person to serve the city of New York as Mayor. Period.”
Earlier in September, Cuomo declined to endorse DeBlasio, because he isn’t a resident of the city and lives in Westchester.
He didn’t let that consideration stop him from making endorsements in other New York City races.
I will say, up front, that I find Bill DeBlasio completely underwhelming as Mayor of New York City.
I marvel at his tone deafness when it comes to crisis that occurs on his watch.
I was flabbergasted at his decision to fly off to Germany to give a speech to protesters at the G-20 summit despite the simaltaneous murder of a New York City police officer.
Still, Cuomo’s antipathy for DeBlasio is strange, considering that DeBlasio was responsible for the Working Families Party endorsing Cuomo in his re-election bid in 2015.
DeBlasio’s efforts then, forestalled a third party candidacy by Zephyr Teachout, who had garnered almost forty-percent of the Democratic primary that year without any financing.
In exchange for this designation, Cuomo pledged to work for the end of the Independent Democratic Conference, the eight elected Democratic State Senators who caucus with Republicans and restore Democratic leadership in the State Senate along with other measures.
Like most promises Cuomo makes, the statute of limitations ran out once it passed his lips.
State Senator, Jeffrey Klein, who leads the faction has described Cuomo as a “fantastic leader.”
To appreciate how little loyalty Cuomo has, all you have to do is recall the demise of the New York State Liberal Party.
The party was founded in 1940 and supported Franklin Roosevelt for President in 1944 and Harry Truman in 1948. In subsequent elections it endorsed both Democrats and Republicans alike, as well as some independent candidates, like 1980 presidential candidate John Anderson.
It provided ballot lines for Jacob Javits, Charles Goodell, John Lindsey and Rudy Giuliani.
Lindsay won a second term as Mayor of New York appearing only on the Liberal line.
It provided a ballot line for Mario Cuomo in the 1977 race for Mayor of New York, following his defeat in the Democratic primary by Ed Koch. Cuomo, like Lindsay, vigorously campaigned and turned in a credible performance.
The Party’s demise came in 2002 when it gave its endorsement to Andrew Cuomo in his challenge to Democratic Party designee, Carl McCall in the primary for Governor.
When it became apparent that Cuomo was going to lose badly, he discontinued his primary campaign.
Unlike his father and Lindsay who honored their commitment to the Liberal Party, Cuomo did not campaign and the Party fell short of the 50,000 votes required for it to have an automatic place on the ballot. It closed its offices and has never been a force in state politics again.
At this writing a host of Cuomo insiders await trial on corruption charges in the United States district Court in New York City.
Among them are Todd Howe, Joseph Percoco, assorted former state officials and large contributors to Cuomo’s campaigns.
Howe has pled guilty and is cooperating with the government in the probe.
Percoco, the lead defendant in the case, was Cuomo’s closest confidant and the man that Cuomo described as “Mario Cuomo’s third son and the one he liked best.”
When the arrests were announced, Cuomo tried to distance himself from Howe saying, “I wouldn’t call us close friends. He worked for the State for a number of years, but I had no knowledge of his personal situation.”
Howe served on both Cuomos staffs, rising to Andrew Cuomo’s chief of staff during the period that he served as Secretary of HUD in the Clinton Administration, where he recruited Percoco to work for Cuomo.
Cuomo has been silent on the subject of Percoco, venturing only that his arrest would have “broken” Mario Cuomo’s heart and offering a generic condemnation about political corruption.
I suppose that neither of those reactions should surprise anyone.
Andrew Cuomo has demonstrated, time after time, that he is only loyal to himself.