It’s day 14 and the Governor and his agenda are officially being roasted by no less than FOUR potential investigations into allegations of wrongdoing regarding Joe Bruno’s travel on state aircraft. Meanwhile, the public is left with platitudes and bromides about cooperation coming from Albany and the Governor.

Clearly those that thought everything would change on Day One – can’t remember where they got that idea – are to blame. The only thing that seems to have changed are the faces – and not too many of those – in Albany. With competency and learning from mistakes so rife in the news and among the chattering classes of Albany and Washington, you would have thought that the Governor and his crack team would be on top of the trend.

State Senator Diane Savino offered a quick fix for this problem over a week ago when she suggested that Darren Dopp, the Governor’s embattled communications director, be fired. Of course, firing Mr. Dopp does not mean that he is guilty of a crime. Certainly his recently retained counsel made that point abundantly clear in an article in Friday’s New York Times.

Rather, the point is – Mr. Dopp and the pending investigations are threatening Mr. Spitzer’s image as a positive agent of change and the agenda he ran so successfully on last year. Ever since the Governor took office in Albany the Republicans have been bracing for a fight and looking for ways to stop the “steamroller” dead in its tracks.

Even without this latest fiasco many were wondering if the Governor was fully prepared for the dynamic of “three men in a room.” Let's be clear – no one doubts that the Governor is a smart guy. However, even the most gifted prodigy is never ready for the “speed of the game” until they get onto the field – see the long list of highly touted NFL quarterbacks who learned after their first season that watching the game from the sidelines is not the same as actually playing it.

In April the Governor negotiated his first budget and even his supporters openly wondered if the other two men - Majority Leader Bruno and Speaker Sheldon – in the room got the better of him. Sunday’s New York Times brought news that the Governor is beginning to reach out to lawmakers - “Spitzer Courting Lawmakers Once Scorned” (New York Times – Metro Section p. 25). Certainly a step in the right direction – however, the article focused on outreach to Assembly Democrats!! Big Deal!

The Governor’s problems aren’t with Democrats – well, his problems should not be with Democrats. Of course, riding into the governor’s mansion Mr. Spitzer seemed to have forgotten that once he took the oath of office for chief executive he was supposed to leave his gun and badge for Andrew Cuomo. As such, he annoyed both Democrats and Republicans – truly a unique talent for a man who was supposed to be enjoying a “honeymoon.”

Even with nascent signs of contrition the Republicans are still licking their chops at the chance to distract voters and the public from the business at hand – public policy – and focus it on scandal, innuendo, untoward behavior and possibly criminal acts. Those that think this is a shrill knee jerk reaction to headlines think again.

David Soares the Albany County district attorney is conducting a preliminary review of the matter and to make matters worse, State Senator George H. Winner, Jr., Chairman of the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations – which has subpoena power – has said that his committee “would decide how to proceed as the hearings unfolded.” (New York Times 8/1/07 – Metro Section, p. B3)

For those unfamiliar with political doubletalk – this means a blank check to take as long as possible to dig up as much embarrassing and irrelevant stuff as possible. The purpose is to fill the headlines and voters’ conversations with distracting drivel.

The net result, gridlock on the policy agenda of the rookie Governor. Indeed, if there were thoughts that campaign finance and other reforms were moving forward – think again. Campaign finance reform has already been kicked to a commission and anybody who thinks that a commission can solve this problem can talk to those who relied upon the Berger Commission to solve the health care problem. The net result of that commission has been no less than seven lawsuits and panic among lawmakers who suddenly find themselves with hospitals being closed in their districts.

There is only one way to stop the burning and that is a more proactive solution from the Governor himself. Specifically, finding a compromise that winnows the number of investigations down to one and changing the rules of the game that the Governor is losing.

That means getting rid of three men in a room paradigm and creating a true legislative process that puts everyone on equal footing in terms of experience. That is, making all the players “rookies” in the game.

The window of opportunity is closing – pubic perception is beginning to take hold that the Governor is not a true agent of change but rather an ambitious politician bent on bum rushing the opposition into submission – sound like someone you know in Washington? Tough love? You bet. The Governor must succeed – the cost of failure for New York is too big for anything else.

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