The prince of darkness has spoken, and received the headlines that he wanted! In an interview with the Times, complete with nasal audio excerpts, the Democratic candidate laid out either his policy plan or his 2014 reelection narrative, by identifying unions as the largest obstacle to change in Albany. (He’s already picked a serious fight with the teachers’ union, but he has so far avoided antagonizing more powerful foes.) He basically extended an open invitation to business lobbyists to come up north.
Cuomo said that he’s sent each labor leader a copy of The Man Who Saved New York, an academic study of Governor Hugh Carey’s performance during the 1975 financial crisis. (Eric Schneiderman, the Democratic candidate to succeed Cuomo, has a slightly different relationship with unions.)
And, just for kicks, there was a dig at Eliot Spitzer for his decision to unilaterally set limits to his fund-raising when the legislature refused to pass a bill. “I mean that was Eliot: ‘I’m going to cut my own funding until you pass the bill.’ O.K. Go ahead. It doesn’t work,” Cuomo said.
