The Chairman of New York State's Republican party ripped Attorney General Andrew Cuomo today for "hiding" and said Cuomo is "directly responsible for the financial disaster in New York State."
In an interview with NBCNewYork, Ed Cox offered a harsh explanation for Cuomo's rock-solid performance in today's Quinnipiac poll.
"He's hiding in this cocoon of being the Attorney General, and it's very easy to be popular when you're the Attorney General.
You always have the white hat on. You're prosecuting the bad guys but what are you gonna do to close that 25 billion dollar deficit?"
It's true that Cuomo has stayed out of the daily mudfest, by indefinitely delaying his campaign announcement. But so far, New Yorkers don't seem concerned.
The Q poll shows Cuomo walloping Rick Lazio, Steve Levy, and Carl Paladino by anywhere from 29 to 43 points. The fact that Republicans are trailing Cuomo so badly could offer another explanation for why Cox is saying things like this:
"I think the people of New York like the fact of Andrew Cuomo being Attorney General. Maybe that's where he should stay," Cox said.
Charlie King, who was named executive director of the State Democratic Party today, said, "Andrew is doing the job he was elected to do. There's gonna be a time when Andrew is going to talk about what he'd do as Governor, should he run, and now is not that time."
As for Cox's statement that Cuomo is responsible for the sub-prime mortgage crisis because of his policies while in charge of HUD, King said, "This statement is coming from the Republican party that gave us the national recession. It's laughable and untrue."
Democrats were also watching the Republican infighting with glee, as Steve Levy tried to downplay reports about his dealings with an ex convict, and Buffalo businessman Carl Paladino said he received a bomb threat today after admitting he forwarded racist and sexually explicit emails.
Rick Lazio declined our request for an interview today.
