GOVERNOR CUOMO’S UGLY POLITICAL POSTURING CROSSES A LINE
Legislative Column from Assembly Minority Leader Brian M. Kolb
Andrew Cuomo’s latest foot-in-mouth statement that America “was never that great” provided a look into an offensive liberal mentality and represents another display of arrogance, shameless political posturing and lack of perspective. For a man who has enjoyed so much of what our great nation offers, and whose very roots were borne of the American Dream, his comments are disrespectful, out of touch and offensive.
Andrew Cuomo’s political aspirations have diverted him from doing the job at hand – governing the state of New York. But, he reached a new low when he belittled the contributions of those who helped make America the greatest nation on the planet. On Friday, the governor walked back his statement, calling it “inartful.” But that falls well short of the apology he owes.
He belittled the contributions of those who died fighting the Nazis. He belittled the contributions of those who risked everything to come here and make a new life for themselves and their families. He belittled the contributions of Americans who, for hundreds of years, poured sweat and blood into this great nation—men and women who sacrificed so much to ensure we remain free and prosperous in the face of tyranny.
A DIFFERENT TAKE
Andrew Cuomo’s personal privileges make his comments even more offensive. They are also way out of line with those his father held, and the juxtaposition is startling:
“This is how I feel about the nation in a nutshell – Nobody, well very few people appreciate more than I do what a fantastic miracle of a place the United States is. It is certainly the greatest nation in world history.” –Mario Cuomo
“We’re not going to make America great again. It was never that great. We have not reached greatness.” –Andrew Cuomo
One must ask; what prompted the governor to make such disparaging remarks? Is his obsession with dueling with the President the reason he sank so low? His words have consequences and he, seemingly, is either unaware of them, or simply doesn’t care.
HOW GREAT IS NEW YORK?
Ironically, New York, the place in America Andrew Cuomo actually has the greatest ability to impact, has floundered during his administration. Perhaps, if he’s so concerned about greatness, he should take a long look at his time as governor. There is a reason residents are fleeing by the millions; his performance to date has not been “great.”
New York has the nation’s worst local and state tax burden, 47th worst property taxes, 49th worst economic climate and second-highest debt burden. New York is struggling mightily. Gov. Cuomo has a responsibility to address these problems. They impact every New Yorker every day. There is too much at stake for his attention to be elsewhere. He needs to take a long, hard look in the mirror and put fixing New York back on top of his list of priorities.
@GOPLdrBrianKolb
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