Politics is a rough game, but in New York, it reaches Olympian heights. It is not for the faint of heart or the risk averse. Remember it was New York that gave us Teddy Roosevelt, who shortly after the tragedy of losing his wife and mother within two days, left for Montana to shoot bison. It gave us Boss Tweed, who was so brash with his corruption that they named a courthouse after him. It gave us Franklin Roosevelt, who refused to allow polio to obstruct his legendary path to the White House.
This current drama includes calls for the impeachment or resignation of Governor Andrew Cuomo. It is the detail of Greek epics with omnipotent leaders, warring egos, insulted honor, and revenge. I call it Homer on the Hudson. It started with revelations that the administration undercounted the number of coronavirus nursing home deaths with the first half of last year. News broke that Cuomo tried to contain the fallout by calling some lawmakers, including one who claimed that the governor said “we are in this business together and we do not cross certain lines” and added that “I had not seen his wrath and that he could destroy me.”
Then Lindsey Boylan, a former aide running for president of Manhattan Borough, published her personal essay online accusing the governor of sexual harassment. Days later, a second former aide, Charlotte Bennett, made similar accusations. Additional women have come forward since. Cuomo has denied the allegations and claims he never meant to make people uncomfortable. Then the dominos started to fall.
The independent investigation was launched by State Attorney General Letitia James. The State Assembly meanwhile declared it would open an impeachment investigation. Dozens of Democrats in the State Assembly signed a statement that called for his resignation, and were followed by State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins, Senator Charles Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. So politics in New York will be volatile in the months ahead. Here is what to watch for.
First, his fate now rests mostly in the hands of someone you have probably never heard of. Charles Lavine is chairman of the State Assembly Judiciary Committee, which is about to launch that impeachment investigation into the governor. He is regarded on both sides as cerebral and judicious, and does not pulse with ambition but can stand his ground.
Second, there could be fallout in congressional districts decided by the governor. A source told the New York Times, “One reason for the unified calls from House members was to ensure that no one person drew much ire” from Cuomo, “who could influence how new congressional districts are drawn in the state, and then could conceivably try to punish one or two people, but not a dozen, by drawing tougher lines.”
Third, despite calls for his resignation, that is really not a victory for many New York Democrats who are waiting for any chance to succeed him. An immediate vacancy would install then Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, giving her an incredible boost if she decides to run for a full term. Do not be surprised, therefore, with a deal that Cuomo will remain in office now but will not run for his fourth term if he cannot recover.
Cuomo will battle like hell to come out of this crisis and he actually might. A poll by Siena College had 50 percent of New York voters say he should not resign right now, while nearly half say he can continue to be effective as a governor. A third say Cuomo committed sexual harassment, a fourth say he has not, and a plurality are unsure. Meanwhile, almost 60 percent are satisfied by the way he has handled the allegations.
Even now as I write this column, the governor is standing a few miles away from my home dedicating a mass vaccination site at a local university. His frame of mind is binary. You do not back down. You plow ahead or perish. In order to win, everyone else has to lose. You show no weakness. That is what Achilles did, and look at all that he could achieve.
Steve Israel represented New York in the House over eight terms and was chairman with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011 to 2015. He is now the director of the Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University. You can follow his updates @RepSteveIsrael.