Disappointed that Joe Biden Asked Him to Resign without Facts; Political “Hit Job” Took Him Out, Won’t Rule Out Another Run
By Dan Murphy
In a candid, one-hour interview, former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo took a number of questions from attorney and 970AM host Arthur Aidala about what happened during his time as governor, COVID, his forced resignation, his father Mario, President Biden, and more.
Aidala asked all the questions that many New Yorkers have about the former Governor, and Andrew answered them all. The two clearly had a relationship before the interview; both were cordial but the questions and answers were real and serious.
You can listen to the show in its entirety at https://omny.fm/shows/the-arthur-aidala-power-hour/andrew-cuomo-full-interview?in_playlist=podcast
Cuomo started out with a brief intro. “I went through a very difficult time, under very unfair circumstances and situations. I still have strong feelings about it but I am at peace. I know how ruthless politics can be and I get it.”
Aidala reviewed how popular Cuomo was at the beginning of COVID in the spring of 2020, and how that all turned in a little over one year, when in August of 2021, President Joe Biden joined the calls of democrats for Cuomo to resign.
Saying that he was “disappointed” in Biden’s decision becuase he never read the report or knew the facts. “How do you say, you should resign, but I never read the report? Because especially on the democratic side there is such energy behind the politics of the Me Too movement. And that is a good thing.”
“But you can also weaponize and politicize what is a good thing and that is what has happened in a lot of cases, where you use the allegation to basically condemn someone… And he (President Biden) says based ont he press conference of James (Attorney General Letitcia James) that I should resign. James artfully manipulated the press. The political response is I believe all women. What bothered me the most was this was so unfair and predictable and orchestrated and obvious,” said Cuomo.
Cuomo then explained the battle in the democratic party that he had, and still has, with the extreme left. “The legislature is controlled by the extreme left and I have been at odds with the extreme left for years.”
“We have extremes on both side, the far left and far right, and the moderates fear the extreme left. You have to reach out to the middle, and energize the middle,” to combat “the lunacy of the far left.”
Cuomo said that on bail reform, which he helped pass as Governor, NY democrats have blindly not admitted that there is a problem.”The extreme left says that crime isn’t a problem. Then why did you (New York City) elect a police officer as Mayor? Why are you unwilling to admit the obvious?”
“Was their a bias in the (criminal justice) system? Yes. But defund the police? The majority of crime victims are people of color. Defunding the police comes from Limousine Liberals.”
“The system (bail reform) has to be reformed. The system was biased so bail reform was the right idea when we passed it. But you can make changes every year, and literally, constantly tweaking becuase you are constantly learning. I think Judges need discretion on dangerousness.”
Cuomo said that while the facts don’t say for certain if bail reform is the reason for increased crime in NY, he did say, “the perception is that (bail reform drove up crime). And people are leaving. COVID has changed the rules of the game. This state now has real challenges, and the fact that democrats don’t want to talk about crime as a problem stymies me.”
Cuomo said that “the extreme left” of the democratic party helped Republicans take the House and elect Kevin McCarthy Speaker. “Without winning house seats on Long Island and in New York, there would never have been a Speaker McCarthy.”
Andrew Cuomo spoke fondly about his father, Mario Cuomo, and the time when he lost a fourth term in 1994, to George Pataki. “When I was elected Governor it was a rebirth for him.”
Aidala ended the interview with the question, when will the name Andrew Cuomo appear on the ballot again? Cuomo answered, “great question, but I’m not going to answer it.”
Perhaps Cuomo’s name will reappear when moderates retake control of the democratic party, or when there is a place for a moderate democrat to run on a Third Party line?
