Andrew Cuomo | The New York Observer

Lopez: 'Too Early' to Say He's With Paterson in 2010

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:07:09 -0500

ALBANY—Right after David Paterson addressed a joint session of the legislature, I asked Assemblyman Vito Lopez whether he could say he supports the governor's 2010 electoral bid.

"Too early," Lopez, who is also chairman of the Brooklyn Democratic Committee told me. "The judgment, right now, he is the Democratic governor. I don't, you know...people have not, you know, haven't--what's the best way to broach it? He's a Democratic governor, and until something changes he...

Where's Andrew?

Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:09:11 -0500

ALBANY—Andrew Cuomo is not in this picture.

"We invited the attorney general and the attorney general thanked us for the invitation and said that he had another matter that he had to address," David Paterson told reporters after he delivered a speech sounding, again, the fiscal alarm. "We invited all the statewide leaders."

Cuomo is quietly gearing up for a statewide run which might be for Paterson's job. Cuomo says constantly his "only plan"...

Cuomo v. Intel

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:54:19 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's latest target is Intel, the hegemonic chipmaker which Cuomo alleges in a federal anti-trust suit became hegemonic in part by paying kickbacks to large computer companies in order to obtain exclusivity agreements.

"Rather than compete fairly, Intel used bribery and coercion to maintain a stranglehold on the market," Cuomo said in a press release.

"Intel's actions not only unfairly restricted potential competitors, but also hurt average consumers who were...

Close Finish Is Not Good For Statewide Suozzi

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:43:11 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—One of the most shocking results last night was Tom Suozzi's marginal victory (or loss) to Ed Mangano in Nassau County and the Republican sweep of the legislature there, which removes the wind from the sails of a potential statewide run for Suozzi.

"Given his lackluster race for governor last time and his very tight race for re-election, I suspect people aren't going to see him as a major league contender for statewide...

June O'Neill: It's Not a Referendum, It's Just a Seat the G.O.P. Bought

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:26:27 -0500

SARANAC LAKE—June O'Neill, the Executive Committee chair of the state Democratic Party, says that the race to replace John McHugh in Congress is not a public verduct on Barack Obama's administration.

"No, it's not a referendum on Obama," she told me Tuesday afternoon. "It wasn't a referendum on Obama in New York 20 and it's not here. If you are the Republican Party and you are running inferior candidates as they do, I would...

Biden For Owens, Again

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:00:06 -0400

ALBANY—The last minute push for Democratic Congressional candidate Bill Owens will include a visit by Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden will appear at a rally in Watertown at the Northside Improvement League. This is the second visit to the area by Biden, who during a trip to Syracuse held a fundraiser for Owens. A Democratic source familiar with campaign strategy said that a DCCC officials were also mulling a visit from Bill Clinton or...

Cuomo for Owens, Robo-Obama Coming Soon

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:43:00 -0400

ALBANY—Sure enough, the final pushes are on.

Bill Owens was endorsed this morning by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the ridiculously popular Democrat who leaves warm fuzzy feelings wherever he goes.

"Bill Owens understands the needs of our working families and he's worked hard to improve our local economy by creating jobs in Upstate New York," Cuomo said in a statement. "Bill knows that Fort Drum is vital to the regional economy, and he will...

Cuomo and Thompson Try Focusing on 2009

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:24:27 -0400

Andrew Cuomo walked a few blocks on Third Avenue in the Bronx this afternoon with Bill Thompson, and endorsed him for mayor.

The event was ostensibly to boost Thompson’s mayoral campaign, but it felt like a precursor to next year’s governor’s race. Thompson is trailing in the polls and most pundits and observers consider it only a question of how large a margin Bloomberg wins by.

But the event provided Cuomo, who is reportedly planning to...

Cuomo to Endorse Thompson

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:57:54 -0400

Andrew Cuomo is expected to endorse fellow Democrat Bill Thompson today, possibly at an event in the Bronx, according to a person familiar with the event.

The endorsement comes late in the campaign, and it’s unclear if Cuomo, like other elected who have endorsed Thompson, will be any more critical than is absolutely necessary of Thompson's opponent, Michael Bloomberg.

The endorsement today may shed more light on the brewing governor’s race next year, where Cuomo is...

Cuomo's Election Day Party

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:46:07 -0400

It’s not a victory party, but Andrew Cuomo is having a fund-raiser on November 3, which is Election Day.

“Andrew Cuomo is having extraordinary success as Attorney General, and his insights into this year’s elections (and next year's) will be very interesting,” the invite says.

Cuomo reportedly has sent word out that he’s planning to run for governor, and is staffing up.

UPDATE: A reader notes that the party isn't just taking place not on Election Day,...

Andrew Cuomo Helps Consumers, Saves Upstate

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:19:02 -0400

ALBANY—In one stroke, Andrew Cuomo announced a program that should help health care consumers, bring investment and jobs to upstate New York and bring evil insurance companies to heel.

Cuomo was at Syracuse University's Maxwell School this morning to announce the creation of FAIR Health, a not-for-profit company that will become the clearinghouse for out-of-network health care reimbursement rates. Those rates are currently set almost exclusively by the Ingenix company, against which Cuomo has...

Someone Named Bill Lynch Is Impressed by Andrew Cuomo

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:48:37 -0400

Bill Lynch owns Cuomo2010.com.

Did your head just explode a little bit? Bill Lynch—deputy mayor under David Dinkins, consultant to the Harlem political establishment, defender of David Paterson—owns Cuomo2010.com?

"You're aware of my record, right?" Lynch said when I called, noting he "fully" supports Paterson and saying this must be some kind of weird coincidence.

Which apparently it is!

It turns out that the Bill Lynch (we'll call him, for the sake of this...

A Paterson Fund-Raising Committee Inches Away, Toward Cuomo

Fri, 24 Jul 2009 10:20:00 -0400

Of the 99 donors listed on David Paterson’s birthday fund-raising committee, 57 did not contribute toward the governor’s re-election this reporting cycle, eight contributed to both Paterson and his rival-in-waiting Andrew Cuomo, and nine gave only to Cuomo, a review of recent campaign filings shows. “There’s no bias. Everybody gets equal attention; I support all my top officials in the state,” said Tom Poelker, chairman of the Greene County Democratic Party. (He gave $1,000...

The Asset David Paterson Can't Wait to Deploy

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:19:00 -0400

ALBANY--David Paterson named Richard Ravitch his lieutenant governor to solve a leadership dispute in the State Senate. But he’s hoping for a lot more. “The lieutenant governor, like a vice president, is an extension of the governor,” Mr. Paterson told the Observer. “I would think that because of his acumen on subjects and his well-tested decision-making capacity that he might direct some policy and even some action, but it will always be understood by he...

Paterson's New Lawyers

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:31:00 -0400

ALBANY—Democrats are attacking a court order restraining Richard Ravitch, the newly appointed lieutenant governor, saying it was obtained improperly. "We continue to want an expeditious court review; we want it to be in the appropriate court, not Nassau County in the middle of the night," Kathleen Sulivan, the former dean of Stanford Law School and the head of David Paterson's newly named legal team, said. "If you're going to try to enjoin action by public...

The Swift, Brutal Primary Strategy of Kirsten Gillibrand

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 10:00:00 -0400

Earlier this month, Kirsten Gillibrand stood in front of the steps of City Hall to accept the endorsements of two more members of Congress and repeated her standard response to all inquiries related to her facing a potential primary challenge. "For my part, I am very focused on being the best senator I can be," Gillibrand told The Observer. "And I really do leave the politics to themselves. I think they will take care of...

Can Mark Green Really Be a Front-Runner?

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 14:16:00 -0400

Whatever you may think of him, you’ve got to hand it to Mark Green: The man just will not give up. He has spent the better part of three decades trying to be someone—someone big—in politics, and usually coming up short. Some actually believed we’d seen the last of him (as a candidate, at least) on that September night three years ago when, digesting his 20-point loss to Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary for...

Paterson on Governing Amid Senate Chaos, Circling 'Sharks'

Tue, 16 Jun 2009 19:30:00 -0400

Ask David Paterson about Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, and he will respond, without naming names, by talking about people who are “half-governing.” He does not mean this in a good way. “I am the only one who is governing the people of this state. Others, who comment, half-govern,” said the governor, in a wide-ranging, hour-long interview on June 15. “Let’s take this crisis,” he continued. “You haven’t heard anybody other than the governor suggest...

State Fighting Bottle-Bill Ruling

Fri, 12 Jun 2009 17:06:00 -0400

ALBANY—After a federal judge threw out the state's expanded bottle law last month in response to a lawsuit by some major bottlers, government lawyers filed a motion Wednesday calling on the judge to reconsider. The motion seeks to modify a ruling by Judge Thomas Griesa, which stopped all aspects of the law until April 1, 2010. State officials agreed that a provision calling for a New York-specific UPC code needed to be looked at, but...

The Last Thing David Paterson Wanted

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:02:00 -0400

If David Paterson seems particularly anguished by the lunacy unfolding in and around the State Senate chamber, it’s for good reason: His chance for political redemption is slipping away—and there’s not much he can do about it. The governor’s political comeback strategy, to the extent he has one, relies on using his incumbency to showcase his executive prowess and build public confidence in his leadership. This means pushing high-profile legislation through the Assembly and Senate...

In Pension-Probe Announcement, Cuomo Makes the Hevesi Argument

Thu, 11 Jun 2009 11:15:00 -0400

Andrew Cuomo told reporters this morning that a private equity firm has agreed to pay $30 million and adopt a new code of conduct as part of the attorney general's two-year-old probe of the state pension fund. Cuomo announced the deal with Riverstone Holding LLC, and said that new code of conduct – which bars the use of placement agents to land business with the pension fund – would help clean up the industry. “The code...

Cuomo's Bill Cleared the Senate and Split the Republicans

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:20:00 -0400

ALBANY—One notable detail about the results of the State Senate's debate on Andrew Cuomo's government consolidation bill late yesterday was the final vote tally: the measure passed 46-16. Several Republicans--including Minority Leader Dean Skelos--voted against the legislation. It has been touted as a way to lower property taxes, particularly in suburban areas. "We obviously have supported efforts to reduce property taxes, but we had a number of concerns about this bill including that fire districts were...

Paterson Blows a Whistle on the Stealth Candidacy of Andrew Cuomo

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:43:00 -0400

RYE, N.Y.—Andrew Cuomo was on his way out. It was 9:30 on the morning of a state Democratic Party gathering at the Rye Hilton on May 31, and Mr. Cuomo, whose official job is attorney general, had delivered another confident speech about his plan to overhaul state government. It was the latest and most ambitious component of his undeclared, unacknowledged campaign for governor of New York. As he left, a couple of reporters asked him about...

Cuomo's Bill Clears the Assembly, Without Amendments

Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:47:00 -0400

ALBANY—Yesterday afternoon the State Assembly passed Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's government consolidation bill by a solid 117-26 margin, but not without registering a few objections. "This legislation is well-intentioned," said Assemblywoman Ellen Jaffee, a Rockland County Democrat. "However, I disagree with the premise and I have great concern with the legislation as proposed." Most of the concerns had to do with the ability of smaller government entities to preserve themselves in the face of consolidation initiatives...

Rangel: Cuomo Promised Me He Will Not Run Against Paterson

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:52:00 -0400

Andrew Cuomo called Representative Charlie Rangel last week assuring the dean of the New York congressional delegation that he would not run against Governor David Paterson, according to Rangel. "He told me in no uncertain terms that he did not want rumors to lead me to believe that he was not in complete support of the governor," Rangel told me in a phone interview just now. Rangel said that full support for the governor seemed...

Paterson on the Possibility of a Primary

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:13:00 -0400

Andrew Cuomo, who is universally believed to be interested in running for governor, said yesterday at the state Democrats' meeting in Rye, “The Democratic Party is essentially a party of primaries.” At an event in Manhattan this morning, David Paterson was asked about Cuomo’s remarks, and said, “I wouldn’t say that I welcome a primary--it’s a lot of work.” Paterson added, “But nor would I say that is anything necessarily right or wrong. All I would...

'We're a Party of Primaries'

Sun, 31 May 2009 21:41:00 -0400

RYE--As Andrew Cuomo was walking out of the state Democratic party's Spring Business Meeting at the Rye Hilton, I and another reporter asked him about, among other things, the possibility of a primary against Governor David Paterson next year. Here’s how it went: Andrew Cuomo: I talked about, mostly, the, this week I have a bill up, the Government Reorganization and Citizen Empowerment Act bill, and that was what I was talking about trying...

Don't Hold Your Breath for That Paterson-Cuomo Primary

Thu, 28 May 2009 22:23:00 -0400

Politicians generally hate answering question about internal party politics, so it would be easy to read Kirsten Gillibrand’s response to a questions about a prospective David Paterson-Andrew Cuomo gubernatorial primary next year as an artful dodge. “I really think the politics will take care of themselves,” she said, adding that “because the budget is as difficult as it is, that all our delegation and our statewide leaders will be focused on solving those problems. I...

Cuomo-Bill Opponents Concerned About His 'Gubernatorial' Style

Thu, 28 May 2009 17:29:00 -0400

ALBANY—Last week, Assemblyman Phil Boyle was standing with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo on Long Island, praising Cuomo'a bill on local government consolidation, which is now wending its way through the legislative process with remarkable speed. Now, Boyle is drafting an amendment to it, and is at the forefront of those attempting to put some brakes on Cuomo's proposal. "I still support the bill, but as with any bill I think it might need a little modification,"...

Gillibrand: The Paterson-Cuomo Situation Will Resolve Itself

Thu, 28 May 2009 09:05:00 -0400

Kirsten Gillibrand said she doesn’t think there will be a primary for governor next year, despite Governor David Paterson’s abysmal poll numbers and Andrew Cuomo’s obvious designs on the office. In a brief interview after she spoke to Democratic activists at a DL21C event at a bar in East Midtown last night, Gillibrand said repeatedly that the “politics will take care of themselves,” but did not elaborate on the point, preferring to bring the discussion...

Poll: Gillibrand Up, Paterson Still Down

Tue, 26 May 2009 09:30:00 -0400

ALBANY—A new poll finds Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, though still not particularly popular, at least making progress. A quarter the voters surveyed saying they are prepared to vote for her in 2010, up from 20 percent in March. Gillibrand has been working to raise her profile since she was appointed in January, unknown to most of the state. Recently, powerful Democrats, including Chuck Schumer and even Barack Obama, have intervened to help her avoid a primary. "The...

What Happened to Spitzer's Government Consolidation Commission

Fri, 22 May 2009 12:46:00 -0400

ALBANY—A few hours after Attorney General Andrew Cuomo formally unveiled a local-government consolidation bill, David Paterson put out a statement referring to legislation as something "[T]he Attorney General and I have been working on together." This caused some head scratching (Irene Liu did a great job parsing the syntax), given Paterson comments Tuesday that he was unaware of the details of Cuomo's negotiations with legislative leaders. While the governor's top lawyer attended the event where...

On Long Island, Cuomo Basks in Bipartisan Praise for Consolidation Legislation

Thu, 21 May 2009 12:50:00 -0400

ALBANY—Flanked by a small army of elected officials at the Long Island Association in Melville, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo presented, as promised, a bill that would make it easier to consolidate local governments, and in the process, help keep property taxes down. "We represent, historically, the people as consumers," Cuomo said of his office. "When I became attorney general, I added a new priority, which was government reform." This bill, Cuomo explained, arises out of the...

Legislature Will Take Up Cuomo's Local-Government Plan

Tue, 19 May 2009 12:02:00 -0400

ALBANY—Leaders of both the State Senate and Assembly just said they will soon introduce a proposal by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that will give voters the legal authority to introduce referendums to eliminate parts of local governments. It was the only concrete legislative commitment that came out of an 80-minute meeting of the legislative leaders held to discuss ways to reduce property taxes. If adopted it would allow Cuomo to claim credit, as an attorney...

Cuomo Unveils Code of Conduct, Gets Carlyle to Sign On

Thu, 14 May 2009 13:40:00 -0400

ALBANY—As attorney general, he can't directly legislate, but Andrew Cuomo has created a code of conduct for investment firms doing business with public pension funds and announced that a major firm, The Carlyle Group, has signed on. Carlyle will also pay a $20 million settlement for allegedly improper business deals with the state pension fund under former comptroller Alan Hevesi and two aides, Hank Morris and David Loglisci. "We've now, we've spent enough time doing the...

Can David Paterson Get Between Andrew Cuomo and the Suburban Vote?

Thu, 14 May 2009 09:25:00 -0400

ALBANY—Asked by reporters last week what his priorities are for the end of the legislative session, David Paterson said that relief for suburban homeowners was at the top of his list. That much has been apparent from his activities in recent weeks as the governor made several appeals to non-urban voters, first appearing in suburban Niskayuna to announce a mandate on state legislation meant to keep property taxes in check, then proposing a spending...

The Rudy Calculus

Wed, 13 May 2009 22:02:00 -0400

We have now reached the point when it is considered non-news each time another poll is trotted out that shows Governor David Paterson trailing by more than 40 points in a prospective Democratic primary match-up with Andrew Cuomo. Still, the Quinnipiac University survey released on Wednesday, which contained the obligatory Paterson-Cuomo questions (they measured the gap at 45 points, for the record), did produce a surprising finding: Rudy Giuliani now only trails Cuomo...

Poll: Cuomo Beating Paterson Among Black Voters

Wed, 13 May 2009 09:04:00 -0400

ALBANY—A new poll shows David Paterson's approval rating is still less than 30 percent, and indicates that while he would get trounced in a hypothetical 2010 election against Rudy Giuliani, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo would fare better. The voters surveyed by Quinnipiac University said they would pick Giuliani over Paterson by a margin of 54-32; Giuliani leads Cuomo Cuomo, by contrast, leads Giuliani by 47-41. In a primary match up, the poll finds, Cuomo would...

Cuomo Campaign Looks Nationwide for Interns to Start 'As Soon as Possible!'

Tue, 12 May 2009 13:40:00 -0400

Andrew Cuomo’s campaign is going nationwide…in its search for interns. They’re looking for “tele-commuting interns” who will “assist with fundraising operations and various other campaign tasks,” according to an ad forwarded to me by a plugged-in reader who has an eye out for left-leaning job opportunities. Here's a link to the ad, which was posted yesterday at 2:27 on a Google Group that is called “Jobs That Are Left.” “*Must be...

DiNapoli Now Suing Aldus

Wed, 06 May 2009 13:58:00 -0400

ALBANY—After taking steps to sever the state's financial relationship with the firm last week, State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli just announced that his office is suing Aldus Equity over the $5 million in fees it allegedly paid for the privilege of investing in the state common retirement fund, plus damages. Saul Meyer, a founding partner of Aldus, was charged last week as part of an ongoing probe conducted by Andrew Cuomo. Here's DiNapoli's full statement: New York State...

Out of the Running, Paterson Starts Sprinting

Mon, 04 May 2009 22:02:00 -0400

By all appearances, David Paterson now has something he has so glaringly lacked since last year: a game plan for winning a full term in 2010. As the Observer's Jimmy Vielkind noted, the governor has begun employing a strategy to cultivate specific key constituencies-an aggressive push for gay marriage, for instance, aimed at winning back sympathetic liberals-and to win the daily headline wars. In a way, it's all elementary stuff (which makes Mr. Paterson's previous flailing...

Now, Paterson Acts Like He Means It

Mon, 04 May 2009 09:15:00 -0400

ALBANY—David Paterson—affable colleague, funny orator, passive and heretofore ineffective governor—is trying to show that he can be a fighter, after all. In recent days, as polls continue to show him getting destroyed in a hypothetical primary next year against Andrew Cuomo, he has attemped to warn off would-be challengers from his base in Harlem, staked a claim to the suburban vote with a plan to curb property taxes, attempted to take possession, finally, of Albany's...

Silver on Lynch: Call the A.G.

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:44:00 -0400

I asked Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver about news that Patricia Lynch, once one of his top aides, has been subpoenaed in connection with Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's probe of the state pension fund system, and about whether that might affect the way his conference goes about its business. "Let's be clear," Silver said after an event at the South Street Seaport announcing free bike rentals downtown. "Ms. Lynch left my employ in 2000. Nine years...

Calling All Middle Men: Cuomo Subpoenas Lots of Pension Lobbyists

Fri, 01 May 2009 12:05:00 -0400

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has issued more than 100 subpoenas of placement agents doing business before public pension funds, part of his ongoing inquiry into the large pools of public money. Those subpoenaed, as reported today, include some of Albany's most prominent lobbyists. Cuomo said he did not believe that any elected officials were among the placement agents being scrutinized. He said he expects State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli to publicize a list of placement agents...

Cuomo Speaks, and Thompson and DiNapoli Dump Aldus

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—It's fair to assume that no public connection between a public official and the ongoing pension fund investigation being driven by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is going to last long. City Comptroller Bill Thompson and State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli—who have elections before them—both began the process today of ending relationships with a company caught up in the probe, within hours of an announcement by Cuomo. DiNapoli issued a statement saying the state's common retirement fund had...

Another Pension-Scheme Charge From Cuomo, With 'More Actions' Likely

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 12:42:00 -0400

Complaint against Saul Meyer ALBANY—Attorney General Andrew Cuomo just completed a conference call announcing charges against Saul Meyer, a partner in Aldus Equity. Meyer is the latest person implicated in Cuomo's ongoing probe of how the state's pension fund was used as a pay-to-play device during the tenure of former comptroller Alan Hevesi. So far, the investigation has resulted in indictments of Hank Morris and David Loglisci, top Hevesi aides; charges against Robert Harding, the former...

Not Seizing the Martha Stark Moment

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:37:00 -0400

The abrupt departure of Commissioner Martha Stark from the Bloomberg administration amid investigations into her hiring practices at the city Finance Department creates, in theory, a political opportunity for opponents of the mayor. But Bloomberg's leading opponent, City Comptroller Bill Thompson, has yet to say anything publicly about Starks’s resignation, which was made public at 4 p.m. yesterday. This could be because Stark, whose actual performance in the post was never criticized in any meaningful way,...

Paterson Camp Accuses Cuomo of Sabotage

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 12:58:00 -0400

David Paterson's campaign and supporters are accusing Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of deliberately undermining the governor in the press. Last week, The New York Times reported that the state's ethics panel had been reviewing a request from three good-government groups to investigate the Paterson administration for leaking the confidential information Caroline Kennedy provided during the Senate vetting process early this year. Keith Wright, a strong supporter of David Paterson, expressed a suspicion that Blair...

Paterson, Drawing the Line at Harlem

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:39:00 -0400

One of the most amazing things about David Paterson’s rally in Harlem this weekend was, as Nick Confessore noted, the fact that Paterson had to do it in the first place. “So, I want to know who is out there that can cut the budget that effectively and remember those who need to be protected the most,” Paterson said ten-and-a-half minutes into his speech at the National Action Network office on 135th Street. “If there...

Paterson on How to Beat Him in 2010

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 18:05:00 -0400

With the footsteps of Andrew Cuomo getting louder and louder, David Paterson has begun speaking more directly about some of the challenges he’s facing as he gears up for the 2010 governor's race. “The point is, the only way to stop me from winning the primary would be to create an atmosphere that would convince people, people who would like to support me, that I'm not running,” Paterson said, according to an advance transcript...