Atlas Puked...
Posted on 09/30/2007 9:19:02 AM PDT by xcamel
Soon after the July 23 report from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo revealed the "Troopergate" dirty tricks scandal, a political operative wise in the ways of Albany made a prediction: Gov. Spitzer would make a sharp left turn to try to save his skin. "He'll pander to all the liberal interest groups and hope they'll protect him," the wise man told me.
Buy that man a beer. Two months later, the prediction has come true. The governor who took office vowing to clean up Albany has lost so much public support that he is reduced to feathering the nest of the unions and other liberals.
Surrounded by enemies real and imagined, Spitzer is on a binge, buying friends and supporters at the expense of everyone else. Good government, law enforcement and fiscal responsibility be damned. This is "Survivor: Albany."
In the last week alone, Spitzer said New York would provide driver's licenses to illegal immigrants with passports, he ended requirements for interviews and fingerprints to get food stamps and also plans to sue Washington over its denial of his plan to expand a health insurance program to cover children whose families earn up to $82,600. Spitzer also wants to hike the hotel tax again to build a more expensive Javits Convention Center, an idea favored by unions.
Another test will come as early as next week when the Transport Workers Union asks a court to restore its dues-checkoff rights, suspended as a penalty for the illegal 2005 transit strike. If Spitzer supports the union, he will be guilty of betraying the riding public.
It is a sign of Spitzer's desperation that he even bit the hand of the one pol who has been nice to him lately. Mayor Bloomberg, who threw Spitzer a life raft by appearing with him several times in recent weeks, was on the receiving end of a blistering attack because he dared dissent on the driver's license issue. "I'm really skeptical that we should be issuing driver's licenses willy-nilly because it then leads to lots of other problems," Bloomberg said. It didn't matter that he went on to defer, adding "But it's the governor's call." The line had been crossed.
Making like a Roman candle, Spitzer gave Bloomy the "f------ Steamroller!" treatment, saying: "He is wrong at every level — dead wrong, factually wrong, legally wrong, morally wrong, ethically wrong."
So much for the new "humility" Spitzer promised. And it also revealed sloppy staff work. Bloomberg had opposed a similar idea in the City Council, so it shouldn't have been a surprise when Bloomberg balked. But Spitzer was so clueless he actually invited Bloomy to the announcement of the plan. Duh.
And for Spitzer to call the incorruptible Bloomberg "ethically wrong" takes some gall. Then again, a drowning man can't be too choosy about friends or enemies. Spitzer is reading the same polls we all are — up to 70% of the public doesn't believe he's telling the truth about his role in the bid to smear Sen. Majority Leader Joe Bruno. He needs help now.
But his way of going about getting it is yet another mistake in judgment. Just as he turned the dirty tricks scandal into a never-ending story by making misleading statements about his role, saying he had "fully cooperated" when he had blocked his aides from testifying, he is boxing himself in long-term with expensive short-term gambits. With the economy slowing down, already-rocky state finances are likely to be stretched, meaning higher taxes or spending cuts will be needed. Neither will help the economy or his sagging poll numbers.
Special-interest group politics is, of course, a way of life in Albany. But such narrow-casting can keep you afloat only so long. Ultimately, a broad base of support is necessary to be a transformative leader and that is possible only when you are personally trusted by the public.
For Spitzer, there is only one way to get to that end: he must come clean about what he knew and what he did on "Troopergate." All other maneuvers only delay the final reckoning and raise its price.
impeach da fuhrer spitzer!!
Come on, gov. Spitz isn’t dirty, he’s a former D.A.
Yeah!
i.e. he's going to go looking for someone without morals or good judgement.
Amen.
so far, you’re alone, but it’s still early
Unfortunately, new yorkers would elect Spitzer with at least 60% support, as long as he has D-corrupt after his name. They elected Alan Hevesi (D-corrupt) as a Comptroller who was caught stealing public money by his republican challenger (Hevesi hanged long enough and won the election so Spitzer could appoint his successor. Hevesi was sentenced soon after the elections).
Now illegal can vote more easily so make that 70% next time.
Atlas Puked...
...all that and and 60K from Normie Hsu
FR *bookmark*
“In the last week alone, Spitzer said New York would provide driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants with passports, he ended requirements for interviews and fingerprints to get food stamps and also plans to sue Washington over its denial of his plan to expand a health insurance program to cover children whose families earn up to $82,600. Spitzer also wants to hike the hotel tax again to build a more expensive Javits Convention Center, an idea favored by unions.”
Hate to say that NYers deserve what they got, but it’s true.
Is NY or MA the most socialist state in the nation?
“Yes”
And even knowing everything now, if an election were held today, wouldn’t Spitzer get reelected by a huge margin? Too many voters in too many states are just becoming Democrat zombies. Pretty scary.
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