Monday, May 5, 2014

Cuomo Tried To Talk Teachers Union Local Out Of Anti-Cuomo Protest On Long Island

So many stories today about Governor Cuomo's increasing political desperation.

First he cancelled his appearance at an Education Reform Now-sponsored conference at which he had been named "honorary chair" after the the meeting of wealthy edu-entrepreneurs and hedge fund managers became a flash point for parents and teachers around the state.

Then we got word from Fred Dicker in the NY Post that Republican strategists view Cuomo's launching of "Astorino's a racist!" political ads last week as a sign that the governor is seriously worried about his GOP opponent, Westechester County Executive Rob Astorino.

Then we got word from Pete Donahue in the Daily News that Cuomo's office orchestrated the "Governor Cuomo saves the TWU/MTA labor deal!" story after the two sides were very close to signing an agreement without the needing the governor to parachute in and "save the deal."

Now we learn from Newsday that the parent/teacher protest on Long Island that Cuomo publicly tried to ignore garnered much attention from his office behind the scenes:

On the eve of a rally to protest state education policies, Connetquot Teachers Association president Tony Felicio Jr. said he got a call from a friend who was acting as an intermediary with the Cuomo administration. 
 Joseph Percoco, a longtime aide to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, was trying to get a message to him, Felicio said he was told. 
"Call off the rally," Felicio recalled, "and he'll set up a meeting with the governor. Obviously, I didn't do that." 
Both the protest, which featured more than 2,000 people, and the apparent attempt to tamp it down illustrate the heightened importance school issues likely will play in this year's statewide elections, experts said.  
And it also may signal that school politics have changed slightly in just four years, with the emphasis shifting from a property-tax cap to the Common Core academic standards and teacher evaluations.

We are seeing increasingly desperate moves by Cuomo and his people to try and avoid public protests over his education policies, increasingly desperate moves by Cuomo and his people to try and smear Rob Astorino as a cousin of Crazy Carl Paladino, increasingly desperate moves by Cuomo and his people to assuage some union members and people on the left with empty gestures like the TWU/MTA parachute jive and increasingly desperate moves by Cuomo and his people to get some positive media coverage.

It had long appeared like Cuomo was impervious to political challenge, either by various constituencies and stakeholders around the state looking to take him on over his policies or by politicians in both parties looking to do political battle with him.

But it is increasingly clear from these increasingly desperate moves by Cuomo that he truly is worried that this November's election will be much closer than anybody thinks it could (or should) be, given Cuomo's ostensible political clout and sizable campaign warchest - especially if a viable third party challenge is mounted against him.

We're getting more and more evidence that the once-vaunted Andrew M. Cuomo and his legacy of "Either Go Along With Him Or You're Roadkill!" is not so vaunted anymore.

12 comments:

  1. Michael FiorilloMay 5, 2014 at 1:46 PM

    During the era of massive demonstrations in DC against the Vietnam War, Nixon would claim that he was watching football and paying no attention.

    When the White House tapes were published, it was revealed that he and his aides were actually freaking out when the demonstrations were occurring.

    The same thing is at work here: these politicians claim to not be paying attention, but when a normally apathetic citizenry is mobilized - especially over things that involve their kids - pols get very frightened, indeed.

    Cuomo and his handlers seem to be reality-based enough to realize that he is loathed by a substantial number of people, including those who customarily vote Democratic.

    He's nervous, and he should be.

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    1. The Nixon comparison is so appropriate. Cuomo's a sneak, he thinks he's learned from Nixon - no tapes, no email trail, no saved messages - and like Nixon, Cuomo's got a lot to hide. CREW named him one of the worst governors in the nation today over the transparency issue and Justin Elliot at Pro Publica has a piece out reporting that Cuomo and his aides are using private messaging to avoid scrutiny. So far, they've gotten away with it - but this will come back and bite him. It seems to be doing so already. Will be interesting to see if Preet decides to take him down over it now that he has an opening via the Moreland mess Cuomo created.

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  2. He stabbed the children, parents and teachers in the back. We voted for him. He wants to destroy the teachers and the public schools. I will not vote for him again and neither will my family.

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    1. No votes for Cuomo - that's how to punish him. Makew him squirm his re-election and watch his White House dream go up in a single digit re-election win (or even better, a loss.)

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  3. I have heard of a lot of lifelong Democrats who don't intend on voting for Cuomo in November

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  4. I am a lifelong Democrat. Cuomo is not a Democrat. I intend to vote against Cuomo and possibly for Rob Astorino. Rob Astorino is stable. Cuomo has an unstable, volatile personality marked by paranoid and manipulative behavior.

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    1. I am supporting Howie Hawkins of the Green Party. He is stable too and honest. Has a great platform on public education. Check him out.

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  5. ABC. Anyone but Cuomo!

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  6. He is LBJ in !967. Done.
    He put all his chips on being able to "Out Christie, Christie" on education. (Pseudo-tough guy, bashes teachers, lines his pockets and his coffers with $$$$$ from the privateers.) It is all falling apart. That a Republican like Astorino can look like a populist in contrast to Prince Andy, tells you all you need to know! The Dem. leaders in NY need to be careful. Corpus Cuomo cold cost them if they can't contain the political damage he has unnecessarily caused.

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    1. Education is really going to cost him. To which I say, good. He's the self-proclaimed "student lobbyist".

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