Back in 2006, I noted:

"As governor, Mario Cuomo spent 12 years talking about shining cities on a hill while not producing a hill of beans. He spent 12 years complaining about having his initiatives blocked time and again by the Republican Senate, while never investing blood or treasure to help the Democrats take control; in fact, Mario was notorious for going into the districts of Republican marginals at campaign time and singing their praises. When it came to the cause of liberalism, Mario usually talked the talk, but Mario rarely, if ever, walked the walk. In the end, Mario left the treasury of the State Democratic Party, which he operated as his personal piggy bank, with a hole almost exactly the size of the surplus in his own personal campaign account."

And therein lies the difference between father and son.  

Andrew Cuomo never pretends to be a loyal Democrat, and he never complains about the Senate Republicans blocking his initiatives, which they almost never do.  

Why would they? Could Democratic Gov. Cuomo Back Republican State Senate Hopefuls? He's Not Ruling It Out www.nydailynews.com    

The beauty part of the IDC move to challenge incumbent Dems in State Senate primaries is that even if they lose every effort, they accomplish their real goal of draining money, sweat equity and other resources away from the Senate Minority which could otherwise be expended in the general election.

In particular, it should be noted that this is not the first time Guillermo Linares has served as a de Facto GOP plant in a State Senate Primary. As I noted in 2007, Lianares did this in 2002 as well, against Eric Schneiderman  Klein Says IDC Would Consider Supporting Linares | City & State www.cityandstateny.com    

I don't know who is more correct, Polanco or Espaillat, but I do know this: if Polanco is right, he should happily call for an investigation himself, with his reward being vindication, and his adversary's humiliation.

That fact that he has not done so does not vouch for his total credibility (although he has already been proven correct in at least a few small details). J.C. Polanco To Adriano Espaillat: No Time To Write Apology To Poll workers? I Did It For You www.nydailynews.com    

Gestetner touts the "fact" that a “Senior Aide” to Dean Skelos attended a Storobin fundraiser.

The name of the aide is apparently "He Whose Name Shall Not be Spoken” (this is in contrast to Storobin, who is merely unspeakable). Super Jewish District: Senior Skelos Aide Attends Big Fundraiser for Storobin Gestetner Updates gestetnerupdates.com   

Sinking His Putz Into the 19^th Hole Department: When it comes to Jewish observance, no one can say that David Storobin doesn't have balls.

One doesn't need to read Leviticus to understand the issue.

Emily Post (or Miss Manners) will do. Storobin plays through | Capital New York www.capitalnewyork.com    

Micah Kellner endorses of Dan Squadron for Public Advocate.

Just for the records, the last endorsement announced by Kellner was Erik Dilan against Nydia Velazquez. Dan Squadron Picks up Upper East Side Support politicker.com

Interesting how Liz Krueger is using the Golden Posture Soirée to try and raise her own money: 

Dear Friend,

Tuesday morning it came to light that Senator Marty Golden sent a bizarre postcard to women in his district, inviting them to attend an event to learn about "posture, deportment, and the feminine presence." When asked to explain, Senator Golden's office said these lessons were intended to help young women stand out and land jobs.

Sometimes a politician does something so bizarre and so out of touch...that it really has to be a window into the truth.

The truth is this: Senator Golden is part of a Republican majority that has held its ruling place in Albany for most of seven decades. He and his colleagues have a key role in governing our state, but they are almost comically mired in the past.

I agree with feminist writer Jill Filipovic's to-the-point response: "The actual issues women face aren’t addressed by special classes on 'the art of feminine presence' and how to 'walk up and down a stair elegantly.'" 

To address the real issues women face, we need to pass the New York State Fair Pay Act and a host of other bills to guarantee fairness for women in the workplace -- bills that Senator Golden's Republican majority has been blocking.

The story is astonishing -- and that's why it has spread like wildfire. First broken by City and State, the story has spread online, in print, and on the airwaves to outlets like the Daily News, NBC, the Village Voice, ThinkProgress, and Comedy Central.

Incidents like this can be funny, but they're symptoms of a serious problem. The Senate Republicans are dangerously out of step with our values -- not as Democrats or Republicans, but as New Yorkers living in the 21st century.

I need your support both to win my own reelection, and to help strong Democrats join me and retake the state Senate. 

Please join me at "Libations with Liz" later this month, or take a moment to make a donation now.

It's not going to be easy -- but with your support, I will keep fighting until we finally bring New York State's government into the 21st century.

Sincerely,

Liz Krueger

Why is Liz Krueger using this to try and raise her own money instead of sending a solicitation out to her rich and ample FR list on behalf of Golden's opponent,  Andrew Gounardes?

Is it because Krueger doesn't want to elect someone who might prefer Mike Gianaris as the next Leader?    

Evidence that the definition of "Reformer" has changed somewhat since I was a young man:

Chris Owens (3/17/2011): No one is guilty until convicted in a court of law. But…[scandal plagued] elected officials need to do right by their constituents and all New Yorkers by resigning right now and taking their scandals out of the public sector.

This is a delicate time for our State and we don't need distracted or politically constrained elected officials. There are programs and services to save, rights to protect and important reforms to address. Elected officials cannot be handcuffed any more than they already are. Resignation is a respectful resolution of these two individuals' situations.

Chris Owens (7/10/2012):
Subj: Tonight! Come celebrate John Liu's successes against Bloomberg

Hey there, everyone!

I hope you and yours were not overly oppressed by our heat wave! This week is alot better!

As you may already know, I am not shy about asking tough questions and challenging our political leaders to do the same. In New York City's political environment, a few individuals have always been willing to ask tough questions of Mayor Michael Bloomberg and challenge his imperial authority. The standout amongst municipal elected officials has been New York City Comptroller John Liu.

That's why I'm proud to host a reception honoring John Liu within my Assembly District TONIGHT, Tuesday, July 10th, and I would like you to join me there!...

From Day 1 of his tenure, John Liu has been on the case, protecting New York City's taxpayers, workers and children. There are numerous examples, some of which have even been reported accurately in the media, from the CityTime contract to City workers' wages. That's why I believe John Liu deserves credit and some political love. Politically, he has been traveling a rough road, but who amongst us has not had to endure such moments?

The fact remains that Comptroller John Liu is respected and genuinely liked by the people of New York City because he's working hard to keep an out-of-control Mayor in check and he is truly accessible to all communities. And, with our help, John Liu will remain an effective public servant once this Mayor is no longer in office.

Brooklyn residents benefit greatly from the work of Comptroller John Liu and here is one chance to show our appreciation and, frankly, ask him some more tough questions!...

…I thank you for your patience and your interest in a brighter future for New York City!

Not Enough for You?

There’s even more:
 

IMPORTANT, YOU WILL NEED TO READ THIS TEXT AND SIGN THE FORM APPROPRIATELY:

I understand that State law requires that a contribution be in my name and be from my own funds. I hereby affirm that this contribution is being made from my personal funds, is not being reimbursed in any manner, and is not being made as a loan; In addition, in the case of a credit card contribution, I also hereby affirm that this contribution is being made from my personal credit card account, billed to and paid by me for my personal use, and has no corporate or business affiliation. Contributions may only be made by US nationals (citizens or green card holders) and contributions and gifts are not tax-deductible for income tax purposes.   

Barron explains what happened in a piece somewhere between Dan O’Connor and George Martinez on the Delusional scale.

Wanna know what happened Chuck? 

Malcolm X got it right:

And I don't think anybody would deny that when you send chickens out of your barnyard in the morning, at nightfall those chickens are gonna come back home to roost in your barnyard. Chickens that you send out always come back. That's a law of nature. I was a little farm boy myself. I got in trouble saying this once, but it didn't stop me from being a farm boy.

When you send your chickens away, your chickens always come back home. Other people's chickens don't come to roost on your doorstep and yours don't go to roost on theirs. WHAT HAPPENED! charlesbarronforcongress.com    

I include this link about circumcision only because the author's name is Holm Putke.

The only thing that beats that is the author of the well know article about how infant circumcision prevents urinary tract infection—Thomas Wiswell, who wants to make sure everybody else does as well. Let Boys Decide at 16 Whether to Be Circumcised - Room for Debate www.nytimes.com