Caught In Hypocrisy Over Cancer Screening Cuts, Cuomo Administration Goes On The Attack

David Sirota and Matthew Cunningham reported in the International Business Times that the Cuomo administration has cut cancer screening for thousands of New Yorkers even as Andrew Cuomo has used Sandra Lee's cancer as an opportunity to point out the importance of cancer screening:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his partner Sandra Lee have in recent days become high-profile public faces in the fight against cancer. Tweeting out hospital photos after Lee’s double mastectomy this week, the couple has cited her breast cancer diagnosis to, in Cuomo’s words, “speak openly about her illness in order to remind women of the potentially lifesaving power of early detection.”

That public education campaign about the value of cancer screening, however, contrasts with what health advocates say are Cuomo’s repeated efforts to cut funding for a major cancer screening program in New York. Only a few months ago, in fact, the American Cancer Society sounded the alarm, slamming Cuomo for pushing an initiative the group said could end up eliminating cancer screening services for more than 16,000 New Yorkers who do not have insurance that fully covers such screenings. In February, cancer survivors and public health advocates testified before the New York legislature, begging lawmakers to reject the governor’s proposed cuts.

“Who here wants to tell that mom, dad, brother or sister they can’t be screened for cancer?” asked the American Cancer Society’s Bill Sherman at a state senate hearing. Of Cuomo’s budget proposal, he said it would lead “to thousands of New York residents failing to get life-saving cancer screenings.”

The Cuomo's administration response?

Why, attacks of course:

In response to International Business Times' questions about the American Cancer Society's criticism of Cuomo's budget proposals, the governor's spokesman, Richard Azzopardi, said, "Get your facts straight, then try again." He provided no new data or facts to refute the group, nor did he respond to IBTimes’ questions about whether Cuomo's experience with Lee’s illness has changed the governor's views on state funding for cancer screening.

And:

Somehow the end of my reax was cut off: Exploiting current circumstances for a cheap hit is tasteless, but not unexpected from the @IBTimes.

— Rich Azzopardi (@RichAzzopardi) May 22, 2015

Why not just say, "You know, you're right, now that we see the importance of cancer screening for everybody, the governor has decided to change his proposal to cut screenings for more than 16,000 New Yorkers who do not have the coverage to fully cover such screenings"?

That's never the modus operandi of the thugs in this administration or the head thug running it.

It's always attack, attack, attack...

Cuomo has used the Lee cancer to try and "humanize" himself - they've sent out tweets of him in a hospital gown while ministering to Lee and other photos that show him supporting Lee.

But this cancer screening story, if it makes to the mainstream media where Lee was doing interviews when the cancer was first announced publicly, will undercut all that and expose Cuomo as the hypocrite he is.

They may get lucky with that - it's a holiday weekend and the story will probably blow over by Tuesday.

But it's just another example of what disgraceful human beings inhabit the Cuomo administration, from the flying attack monkeys in the press office to the head attack monkey in the governor's mansion.