Doesn’t it feel like the day after Independence Day should be a holiday? I certainly think so.
In the first Morning Jolt of the week, beginning this shortened work week…
Hope everyone had a good holiday weekend. Or as Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., puts it, “Happy Fourth of YOU-LIE!”
Does Obama’s Reelection Bid Need Some Cuomentum?
Fredric U. Dicker, the New York Post’s reliably-plugged in columnist covering state politics, offers a bit of a bombshell to join the fireworks for the Fourth of July:
A Prominent Republican is joining a prominent Democrat in predicting that Gov. Cuomo will become President Obama’s running mate for vice president next year.
Former New York GOP boss William Powers, credited with playing a key role in electing Rudy Giuliani mayor and George Pataki governor, was effusive in his praise of Cuomo’s successes in the just-ended legislative session, and in his prediction of the freshman governor’s political future.
…”I don’t think there’s any doubt Obama is going to pick him as his running mate. The president is in trouble and [Vice President Joseph] Biden doesn’t bring anything to his ticket. The president will call him up later this year and say, ‘Andrew, you have to do this for the good of the country.’ What’s Andrew going to say, ‘No?’ “
Cuomo, who saw a flurry of predictions last week in the wake of the gay-marriage victory that he’ll run for president in 2016, has repeatedly refused to discuss the possibility of higher office.
He wouldn’t comment either on Powers’ prediction, but a source familiar with his thinking half-jokingly said this when asked what action Cuomo would take if Obama called to offer him the nation’s No. 2 position: “He won’t answer.”
Of course, at this point, this is a columnist quoting two sources who don’t know Cuomo’s thinking, or the president’s, and so it’s speculation, filling a holiday weekend column. Having said that, the whole thing sounds rather plausible, especially since it’s easy to believe that Obama would like to choose his successor.
The Jammie Wearing Fool observes a double standard and an earlier chapter of Cuomo’s career he might not want scrutinized too closely: “It’s funny how a Democrat can take on public-employee salaries and pensions and there’s nary a peep from the unions, let alone the media. But when a Scott Walker of Chris Christie does it, all hell breaks loose. So the Democrats could have a ticket with an anti-gay marriage candidate in Obama and a union-busting VP in Cuomo. Finally, some change we can believe in. t’s probably a given the media will ignore the buildup of the Fannie Mae-Freddie Mac fiasco while Cuomo was HUD Secretary under Bill Clinton. He doesn’t need the messy reminders.”
Doug Powers writes, “While I’m convinced that Barack Obama will in desperation be forced to offer up a head to voters before the election next year (he sure as hell ain’t accepting the blame), but I’ll be surprised if it’s Sheriff Joe’s plug-riddled scalp.”
I wonder if Joe Biden ever brings up these rumors when he meets with the President… “Boy, the nerve of that guy Cuomo, putting out a rumor like that, huh? I mean, the vice-presidency is a big f- well, you know how it goes. And things are going so well for us, why on earth would we ever want to change a winning team, right, Barack? I mean, I’m your lucky charm! I mean, he should try to stay awake for all of these addresses, see how well he does…”