The media has mostly been covering Caroline Kennedy lately with regards to Hillary Clinton’s soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, and Andrew Cuomo has been mum over his own ambitions for the spot. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working hard behind the scenes to lobby for it, and in public to prove to Governor Paterson and voters that he deserves the spot. Yesterday we learned that Cuomo faced off against insurance giant UnitedHealth over a practice of skimming extra percentages of money off of patients, and won. It was a meaningful victory for the little guy, one that made even Post curmudgeon Andrea Peyser begin to root for him. “I don’t cross my fingers,” Cuomo told her, regarding the Senate opening, but he joked about his biggest rival being Fran Drescher.
The News today also reported that Cuomo had an interview with Paterson regarding the Senate seat last month, weeks before Kennedy’s own similar meeting with the governor. (Also, the tab revealed that Cuomo is digging into Bernie Madoff on behalf of New York charities.) Paterson has frequently said he’ll make no official decision about an appointment until Hillary Clinton passes the Senate confirmation hearing — which she began yesterday to much acclaim. And coincidentally, it’s only now that papers are filling with stories about Cuomo linking him with the role. Has Andy, after all these years struggling in New York politics, finally learned the art of timing?
Andrew Cuomo talked to Gov. Paterson about Hillary Clinton’s seat – sources [NYDN]
UnitedHealth Agrees to Fund Database of Doctor Charges [WSJ]
REBORN GOOD GUY DESERVES TO BE SEN. ANDY [NYP]
Andrew Cuomo to probe if Bernie Madoff swindled charities [NYDN]
