If you wonder what it might be like for a polar bear to be stranded on a drifting and melting slab of ice look no further than the bedraggled face of Governor Andrew Cuomo. His political crisis can hardly get worse following the news that both United States senators from New York have thrown the once most powerful man in the state into the cold waters. The quickening pace of the almost surreal series of events in Albany has caught the attention of the country.
It comes as no surprise at the gleeful ease so many have piled onto Cuomo. Having a long track-record of being harsh with his foes and friends, alike, there are not many who now will expend any of their own political capital to defend the charges being made against him. It would seem, however, someone with heft in the city might offer some pushback, given the all-of-a-sudden rush by a number of people to all at once speak out about his boorish behavior. That is not to say Cuomo did not act as he is being accused, but no one can miss the amazing orchestration of this political take-down.
That is what has this blogger watching hour-by-hour for the next development. I simply do not see how Cuomo can stay in office following the events in the past 36 hours.
But it needs noting that the other reason the nation is watching–apart from the need to see the crash occurring in slow motion–is how this event is in such stark contrast to other women making charges against other powerful men. If you are keeping score of the women who have spoken out concerning the sexual predator who sat in the Oval Office over the past four years it would total twenty-six. The severity of many of their allegations against Trump makes Cuomo appear to be a choir boy.
But unlike the avalanche of Democrats who have called for Cuomo to step down, there were only crickets to be heard when Republicans were asked to hold their leader accountable. We recall the indignant nature of the ever-single and womanless Senator Lindsey Graham when confronting the accuser of Brett Kavanaugh. Gone were the stern words from a conservative about personal responsibility as the senator all but licked the shoes of the nominee to the high court.
So it is newsworthy that Democrats are the ones showing what consistency looks like with this issue to a nation that has not seen much of that from the other party. Democrats are demonstrating they have the same concerns be it a Republican, or not, who faces the allegations. And I suspect that theme continues in the days to come, with Cuomo meeting his call to his larger duty.
Kavanaugh should have acted like a man with some shred of decency and removed himself from the nomination. That would have been best for the court. Unlike that episode, I predict Cuomo writes a powerful statement and removes himself from office. Knowing that is what a man does who understands amends must be made, and how a pol acts for the greater good.
And so it goes.
CAFFEINATED POLITICS 