Cuomo's Diminished Capitol Presence

Dana Rubenstein and Laura Nahmias at Capital NY:

Cuomo has been a diminished presence in the Capitol recently. A review of his public advisory schedules shows that during his first term in office, he averaged three press conferences in Albany each April. This year, he has had none. All eight of his pre-advised public appearances have taken place in either New York City or Cuba, where he traveled last month for a trade mission. He held no press conference after passing the budget this year, something he’s done each year since taking office in 2011.

To the extent he does appear in public, he does so unexpectedly.

On a recent evening, he appeared at a Saugerties diner, preceded by a state police detail, who swept the restaurant before Cuomo arrived. He reportedly ordered a steak.

In April, he showed up at the Manhattan bar mitzvah for the son of a major taxi industry financier. (Nicki Minaj was a guest performer.)

More recently, he gave a political speech to a group of Brooklyn Democrats. The event which was advertised by neither his campaign nor his government handlers.

Cuomo has been more forceful in his public appearances in the last couple of days, following a fire at the Indian Point nuclear facility. As in the past, Cuomo seemed most comfortable when responding to an emergency.

Cuomo seems most comfortable when responding to emergencies because he knows he's safe from being asked any uncomfortable questions like "Are you under criminal investigation?" or "How could you misremember meeting with Glenwood bagman Charlie Dorego since you were one of only three people in the room and the other - Leonard Litwin - was your biggest donor?"

Cuomo's diminished Capitol presence parallels his diminished poll numbers - he's now near Spitzer levels.

Here's hoping the diminished presence continues and he eventually disappears from the Capitol completely.