Let's put all this into some perspective
It begins with the varying descriptions of the issues complex. Is it Troopergate, Spitzergate, just generically The Mess, or my preferred moniker, Albany-Business-As-Usual-Gate?
To members of New York's jaded and cynical political class, the issues are clear: Governor Spitzer, whom many of that same class viewed with distrust verging on enmity in the first place, has fallen. He is revealed as a mere mortal, flawed, like all others, and therefore, his cause, that of the reform and revitalization of New York State, is discredited. Imperfect messengers cannot be, must not be allowed to be, vehicles of change. Whether this serves the people of New York, or merely nourishes the sense of indispensability on the part of that political class, remains something of an unanswered question; but if you consider the status quo in Albany, and then take into account that these same tools of the status quo, the Op-Ed writers and columnists, legislators and lobbyists, uphold that status quo and are invested in its iron-clad continuance, I'd opt for the latter option. The disconnect between the two sides of the Washington Beltway is the stuff of sinister legend; the New York Beltway is as real as its national counterpart, even if it's not physical, merely an archipelago of Albany offices and City newsrooms.
There is a scandal in Troopergate. It is not, however, the readily apparent one, certainly not the one that the Murdoch Post is trumpeting.
The real scandal is that strictly non-criminal behavior on the part of some governmental aides, directed at another member of a different branch of government, one laboring under Federal investigation for corruption, is being used as a foil by a partisan majority to derail the agenda and the governor that 69% of New Yorkers voted for last November. This, mind you, by a partisan Senate majority that collectively received fewer votes than the Senate minority.
In this, of course, Bruno and the gang are assisted and enabled by a lazy, complicit press corps enamored with the formulaic, wooden forms of political reportage that have, in turn, caused the mainstream media to lose so much of its once stellar reputation. There is a battle going on, no doubt: but Spitzer vs. Bruno doesn't begin to describe it. Rather, the opposing forces are those of reform of this state, the one that the voters demanded last year, and those who would prefer to keep things as they are, slowly rotting this state into oblivion. Some deck chairs on the Titanic are very comfortable, and still far away enough from the waterline to pretend that everything will be fine.
There is a scandal here. You're just not hearing about it.
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Albany Reform | Eliot Spitzer | Joe Bruno
Perspective can be good
Submitted by mole333 on 7 August 2007 - 9:50pm.
I was never as thrilled with Spitzer as many were...but I welcomed him as being far better than Pataki and I did/do hope his aggressive approach can shake things up in Albany. Many of our electeds in Albany, including some fellow Democrats, need some slapping around, figuratively speaking. That said, Spitzer opened himself up to this...but perhaps not as much as is being spun.
If I may pass along something a fellow blogger brought to my attention, and which I also quoted on dKos. For what it's worth.
From the Syracuse Post Standard:
Focus on Bruno 'Troopergate' no Watergate moment Sunday, August 05, 2007
By Mark AlesseRegarding the hubbub in the press, now predictably being called "Troopergate," it's important to remember that the attorney general found no laws were broken, made no mention of state police "espionage," and though Sen. Joseph Bruno claims to be the innocent party, his use of government aircraft was cited as a reason for tightening the guidelines.
What it boils down to is that a report was requested on Bruno's travel in order to leak to the press that he often used state aircraft for partisan political purposes and not government business. This is supposed to be a scandal of such magnitude as to be Albany's own Watergate moment...
What the attorney general found was that Bruno's travels were, in fact, often for partisan political purposes and only thinly veiled as government business. That's why he said the policy on using taxpayer-funded aircraft is "overly permissive and porous and allows for an abuse of taxpayer funds..."
With Bruno under federal investigation and his majority mere months away from evanescing, it was stupid to try to stage-manage the revelation of one minor peccadillo in a sea of abuses; stupid, but not much more - certainly not criminal.
As for what Gov. Eliot Spitzer knew and when - well, no one knows. But even if he knew something, it proves only that even a smart, good leader can sometimes be injudicious. Weighed against a decade of dysfunction and the economic and social problems of Upstate, we should give the governor the benefit of the doubt and move on to important things.
Mark Alesse was a leading spokesman for small business for 20 years, and served the Assembly and Senate in research and policy-making positions.
Again and for the record I have yet to be a big fan of Spitzer's. He shows less reform zeal than I might like and shows a bit too much hubris. Then again, Albany might just need to be slapped around a bit before it shapes up. There is no question that whatever Spitzer is doing it is a.) better than what has traditionally been going on in Albany and b.) better than Pataki.
Well, I guess you've found me out. I'm jaded, cynical and
think Gov. Spitzer is mortal and flawed. I think he can assist in changing state policies and practices but do not think he will do it by himself. Many indications suggest that his administration is a great improvement over that of Mr. Pataki.
But, I think you mischaracterize the problem posed by TrooperGate when you describe it thus: "strictly non-criminal behavior on the part of some governmental aides" Since, as we know, the AG didn't interview key people, didn't obtain didn't get all the emails, your characterization of "some aides'" actions as "non-criminal" is premature.
You and I may wish that a federal investigation into Mr. Bruno's businesses will result in charges filed against him -- but we should anticipate the possibility that that investigation may result in no charges at all. It happens.
You and I both know that no effort was made by Mr. Spitzer to capture Senate seats in the 2006 cycle, so we're left with working with and against Mr. Bruno until we can defeat his party at the polls.
We cannot make Mr. Spitzer's bad news go away by pretending. He'll have to fix that. We can change Albany politics somewhat more if we're able to defeat the GOP in the 2008 State Senate elections. Casting aspersions and shaking our fists at Mr. Bruno in the meanwhile will get us bupkas, just as it got Mr. Spitzer.