Despite persistent calls for former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s resignation, both from this site and from many prominent politicians, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has stood steadfastly beside his friend and colleague. Through sexual harassment cover-up after cover-up, Cuomo refused to condemn Silver for his action. Years went on as the Democrat piled up corruption allegations, and Cuomo stood idly by.
Recently, Silver was arrested on federal corruption charges for accepting over $4 million in kickbacks and bribes.
Now Cuomo insists he can’t be blamed for Silver’s having been allowed to run a corrupt Assembly under his nose, throwing his hands up at the suggestion. In fact, he claims he’s no more responsible for Silver’s actions than President Obama was for Anthony Weiner’s indiscretions.
“If Anthony Weiner shows his private parts, do you blame Obama?” Cuomo asked the New Yorker. “These are criminal acts of individual legislators. What would you have me do?”
Ah, but there’s one significant difference in that analogy, Governor Even the notoriously spineless Obama called Weiner out and suggested he resign, something you never did in the case of Sheldon Silver.
Via Politico:
President Barack Obama has joined the ever-growing chorus of Democrats seeking the resignation of New York Rep. Anthony Weiner, putting even more pressure on the embattled lawmaker to quit the House in the midst of a sex scandal that seems to produce a new, embarrassing chapter with each passing day.
“I can tell you that if it was me, I would resign,’’ Obama said during an interview scheduled to air Tuesday morning on NBC’s “Today” show.
Now if the president could muster the courage to single out Weiner, what does that say about the Governor’s courage?
Assemblyman Steve McLaughlin told us in 2013 what the motivation was for Cuomo to avoid calling Silver out: “Clearly Cuomo wants Silver standing, so that he can push his radical progressive agenda,” McLaughlin said.
Did that make Governor Cuomo guilty of enabling a culture of anti-female corruption in New York State?
McLaughlin surmised, “Cuomo enables Silver.”
Now Cuomo says he’s no more responsible than the oresident. What a joke.
Cross-posted at the Mental Recession
