Ex-Governor Cuomo’s Interaction with Post Staff Mocked Progressive Ideals

For months, I have questioned the polling narrative suggesting that Andrew Cuomo is invincible in the Democrats’ mayoral primary.

Even with a steady lead of 20 points or more over a diverse group of challengers, I thought his extensive baggage from Albany would weigh him down, making him susceptible to younger, more dynamic opponents as voters began to pay closer attention.

His lackluster performance on Monday has led me to believe that his reckoning is drawing nearer.

It’s an understatement to say that the former governor’s encounter with Post editors and reporters did not unfold in his favor.

Halfway through the two-hour grueling session, it seemed he felt the shift as his posture slumped and his usually combative demeanor shifted to a more mundane response.

The most intense questioning revolved around his nearly 11-year tenure as governor and his self-portrayal as a solitary, brave moderate standing up against the growing socialist faction within his party.

However, his pushback, if we can call it that, had its limits.

He signed off on a wide array of legislation that has negatively impacted the city and state.

Progressive Nonsense

From rising crime rates and societal chaos to extreme climate policies, from failing schools to congestion pricing, Cuomo greenlit a plethora of progressive folly.

“A governor is not a dictator,” he weakly defended himself.

“I always sought to make the best deal possible.”

It’s part of his narrative that politics is a dirty game, despite being the son of a politician and a politician himself for most of his life.

Cuomo insisted repeatedly that the issue in Albany stemmed from socialist Democrats “intimidating” moderate lawmakers, which let the far left dictate the agenda.

With Republicans in a weak minority, and Gov. Hochul capitulating to the same radical ideology, the entire state is ensnared in a persistent losing streak.

To be fair, Cuomo did accomplish some significant things.

He concentrated on infrastructure and takes pride in the new LaGuardia Airport, the Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, and the new Tappan Zee Bridge, which he named the Mario M. Cuomo Bridge after his father, who served as governor from 1983 to 1994.

Additionally, Andrew implemented an annual tax cap of 2%, which limited property tax increases in suburban areas affected by Albany mandates and teachers’ union contracts.

Still, it’s hard to argue that Cuomo deserves the mayoralty simply because the negative impacts stemming from Albany could have been even worse without his influence.

This is not a compelling argument, especially with the City Council and city prosecutors becoming increasingly radical.

Would he merely become their obstacle as well?

There are two other critical aspects of his Albany tenure: his disastrous nursing-home order during the COVID pandemic and the subsequent scandal that led to his resignation in 2021.

Next Tuesday marks the five-year anniversary of the infamous state Department of Health order mandating that nursing homes accept COVID-infected patients being discharged from hospitals.

The directive barred any refusals, stating, “No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the [nursing home] solely based on a confirmed or suspected diagnosis of COVID-19.”

Tragic Commingling

Many facilities were simply too small or overcrowded to properly isolate these new patients yet were compelled to accept them immediately.

Later, Cuomo was found attempting to downplay the situation by obscuring the number of nursing-home deaths, which investigations revealed exceeded 15,000.

A report by the state comptroller indicated he intentionally underreported the total by over 4,100.

As he did on Monday, Cuomo often ridicules claims that he manipulated the figures to safeguard a book deal that earned him $5 million.

However, there wouldn’t have been a book deal had the actual death counts been made public earlier.

Numerous families are not deceived and have not forgotten.

These families are mobilizing against Cuomo, which leaves me puzzled as to why he has yet to take responsibility and apologize for what was a catastrophic mistake.

In a recent television interview, when asked about regrets, he mentioned wishing he had acted sooner to increase police presence on the subways.

His omission of nursing homes is callous and undermines any trust in his leadership.

He can’t even bring himself to acknowledge the order was a blunder, even though he revoked it six weeks after issuing it.

Instead, he and his team continue to falsely assert that the directive, which they now refer to as an “advisory,” adhered to federal guidelines.

This is inaccurate, as federal authorities instruct nursing homes not to accept any patients they cannot adequately care for.

Cuomo’s order eliminated this essential requirement.

Beyond this, the sexual harassment allegations served as the final blow to his administration.

None of the 11 cases substantiated by investigators resulted in criminal charges, although there are civil cases pending.

He resigned because he had no other option.

Democrats held a majority in the Legislature, and he would likely have been impeached, tried, and ousted from office.

He stepped down when he realized his support had evaporated, with even President Joe Biden urging him to resign.

As one observer in Albany noted, Cuomo might have achieved 100 successes but found himself without a single ally.

Self-Reflection

I have known Cuomo for decades, though there was a stretch of time with no contact until he began preparing to run for City Hall.

At our initial meeting, I asked him how he had become such a pariah that no one came to his defense at the end.

His response suggested he was engaging in some genuine self-reflection, which I considered a positive sign.

Beyond his personal peace, there was little chance he could resurrect his political career without grasping why he became a social pariah in the first place.

Yet he still avoids publicly confronting the nursing-home order.

He mentions ongoing court proceedings but insists he has met with some families to offer condolences.

This is far from sufficient and may already be too late to be genuine, especially with his primary challengers seizing upon the issue.

This is just a portion of the heavy burden he carries from his time in Albany, which is why I believe that current polls reflect more about name recognition than true backing.

In Cuomo’s situation, the fact that people know his name isn’t necessarily advantageous.

Continued Anguish for Israel

From Michael Oren, writing for Clarity:

“While deeply moving, President Trump’s recent meeting with former Hamas hostages was equally disheartening. Eight Israelis—undaunted, patriotic, and a true reflection of our society—expressed to the president that their state had failed them. The only hope for the remaining hostages lay with America, they implicitly stated, and its capacity to exert pressure on the Israeli government.

“If this message were not distressing enough, Eli Sharabi, who was freed only a month earlier after enduring 491 days of horrific captivity, presented Trump with a two-paneled drawing. One side depicted three Holocaust prisoners, while the other featured three Israeli hostages. Apart from the barbed wire imprisoning the former and the looming Hamas terrorists over the latter, the subjects were strikingly similar in their gaunt and humiliated states.

“Never Again,” proclaimed the header over the Holocaust victims, while the hostages were marked with a single, chilling word, “Again.”