Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the Working Families Party’s leadership have reached an agreement that could give the incumbent Democrat the labor-backed organization’s ballot line, according to sources familiar with the agreement.
Under the terms of the agreement, Cuomo would support local control for a minimum wage increase — a proposal he has previously opposed — as well as back a full Democratic takeover of the state Senate.
Whether Cuomo can and will deliver on these items given his working relationship with Republicans in the state Senate remains to be seen.
The agreement comes as WFP activists appeared close to coalescing around the candidacy of Zephyr Teachout, a Fordham University law professor. The WFP plans to holds its own nominating convention on Saturday outside of Albany.
But negotiations between the WFP and Cuomo’s camp behind the scenes stretched throughout the day, with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio playing a large role in the talks.
De Blasio, a liberal Democrat, had publicly and privately advocated on Cuomo’s behalf for the WFP to grant him the ballot line.
One source described de Blasio’s efforts as “super helpful.”
Is de Blasio suffering from Stockholm Syndrome or did he get something in return for mediating negotiations between Cuomo and WFP?
If you remember, it was just a short while ago that Cuomo took every opportunity to stick it to de Blasio over not just charter schools but issue after issue.
Anthony Weiner even noted how putzy Cuomo was to de Blasio in a DN piece.
Now de Blasio helps save the day for Sheriff Andy.
My guess is, seconds after the election is over, Cuomo starts sticking it to de Blasio and the unions again.
Hard to know if this is Stockholm Syndrome, stupidity or a sell-out, but whatever the hell it is, it sucks.
But again, not unexpected.
Wait: Cuomo, a Democrat, promised the WFP that he would make efforts to elect a Democratic state senate?
ReplyDeleteIsn't that what someone in his position is expected to do?
Yet the WFP threw away their leverage, for the promise to do something that he should already be doing, but still will not do?
And De Blasio was the midwife to this?
We're screwed, folks, we're screwed.
We really are.
DeleteYou said it, Michael. But we knew that we were screwed. De Blasio is the putz. What a loser, and we lose too. Howie Hawkins has my vote. How could anyone vote for Cuomo, his face says it all.
ReplyDeleteThere all the same, Bloomber, De Blasio, Cuomo, they just have their own way to screw us all. Let's hope the delegates see through this BS!
DeleteI just dded my two cents to this fiasco.
http://www.southbronxschool.com/2014/05/breaking-news-mulgrew-pulling-wfp.html
Howie Hawkins it is.
DeleteI don't see why bloggers are pushing a particular law prof who doesn't have a Googleable record on high-stakes tests or other issues affecting our working conditions, our students' learning conditions. Howie Hawkins has been more than up to speed on these issues. Moreover, he realizes that the situation facing us extends beyond education. The Howie Hawkins-Brian Jones ticket has a well-thought out program for improving our economy. When has "Zephyr Who" made connections between neo-liberalism and real life impacts?
ReplyDeleteJoin the other educators and parents that have endorsed: http://www.howiehawkins.org/educators_parents_students_for_hawkins_and_jones