Mother Jones: Post-Ohio, Unions Set Their Sights on...Democrat Andrew Cuomo?

[Omaha Steve]

I'm a proud AFSCME member today!!!


http://motherjones.com/mojo/2011/11/ohio-union-afscme-andrew-cuomo?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Motherjones%2Fmojoblog+%28MotherJones.com+|+MoJoBlog%29

—By Andy Kroll
| Mon Nov. 14, 2011 9:16 AM PST

The repeal of Ohio Gov. John Kasich's anti-union law last week marked the biggest political win of 2011 for labor unions. Post-election analyses hailed the result as a sign that organized labor was still a force to be reckoned with and a major player in the 2012 presidential election.

Now, fresh off the Ohio win, the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is setting its sights not on, say, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker or Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, but an unlikely political opponent: New York's Democratic governor, Andrew Cuomo. AFSCME, one of the largest public-worker unions in the US, recently made a six-figure ad buy in New York in which it will trumpet the role of public workers in responding to and recovering from Hurricane Irene, which caused $7 billion worth of damage along the East Coast.

AFSCME's ad buy is a big one, spanning two weeks and TV, radio, and print media outlets. Here's a TV ad from the New York blitz:

Video (Irene): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZurJfxoKAM&feature=player_embedded

FULL story at link.

[marmar]

1. New York deserves a better Dem than Cuomo.

nt

[Luminous Animal]

2. Good.

[rucky]

3. I can't name one Democratic-ish thing Cuomo's done as Governor. n/t

[Jim Lane]

4. He backed marriage equality, but I can't think of anything else to add to the list.

My understanding is that he wasn't just giving lip service to marriage equality, but that he actually got involved in the fight, helped to bring around some swing Democrats, and deserves part of the credit for the win.

That's an accomplishment, but it doesn't make up for his otherwise right-wing administration.

And here's the really bad news -- he may have a good chance of being our presidential nominee in 2016.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Kick

[lindysalsagal]

6. His 2% tax cap will destroy the best public schools in the country.

He's no democrat.


I wish NY had re-call.