19 Comments
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

This makes me sad. In the worst days of the pandemic, when The Former Guy had washed his hands of any responsibility or duty, Cuomo stepped up to the plate, day after day, almost always with his Secretary, Melissa DeRosa, sitting next to him. And I derived a lot of comfort from that. Even though I'm not a New Yorker, he made me feel like one. But now it's time for him to go.

Expand full comment
founding
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

I thought he did a good job, too. Though Giuliani also had some shining moments 20-ish years ago. I hear similar things said about the Catholic church - they do good things too so the bad should be forgiven (forgotten?). Two things can be true. When bad things are done and other people are harmed, there needs to be accountability and consequences.

Expand full comment

Yes and yes.

Expand full comment
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

He should resign.

That others have done worse is often used to set an excruciatingly low bar. That others have done worse actually just means that they should have resigned or been removed.

He should resign because a workplace should not be made an ordeal for women-as-such, or for anyone, and should not be a harassment amusement park for men-as-such, or for anyone.

It's true that the GOP has what-abouted Dem harassers while sheltering GOP harassers, and gloated about thinning Dem ranks when Dem harassers resign or are removed, but we can just recognize that as characteristically shoddy behavior.

Expand full comment
author

This is an excellent argument.

Expand full comment
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

I do not think he has a choice. Every day he stays, the drums will beat louder for his ouster and the business of NY State will grind to a halt. He needs to step aside.

Expand full comment
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

He has the right to take his case to court and the polls if he truly didn’t touch or talk inappropriately to those 11 women and whomever else comes forward - that’s what Trump did - but this certainly appears far worse than what Al Franken acknowledged he’d done long before he was a Senator, and if the Governor did what he’s accused of he knows it and must resign.

Expand full comment
author

I miss the days when some politicians worried about besmirching their office by bad behavior.

Expand full comment
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

Or even pretended to.

Expand full comment
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

The evidence against Cuomo is overwhelming. The number of witnesses, the long history. His sometimes impressive performance in office doesn’t make up for that (think Giuliani immediately after 9/11). If there is redemption in his future, Cuomo owes it to the rest of us to find it as a private citizen. I’m tired of elected officials wasting our collective political capital to get past their wrong doing and stay in power. Whataboutism has turned republicans into a cult of immoral/ammoral zombies. The left owes that to no one.

Expand full comment

Yes.

Expand full comment

I say yes. Tony Soprano says no.

Expand full comment
Aug 4, 2021Liked by Susan Campbell

Bye, Andy,

Expand full comment
founding

It seems wrong that it should be up to those found guilty of breaking the law to choose to punish themselves or not. Guys (or gals) who try to get away with things and push their power to take advantage of people usually aren't the ones to walk away in shame. Usually. It should not be up to them to resign. People in positions of power should be held to the highest of standards and be removed if they break the law. It's so frustrating to even be in the position that it's all up to him, or up to Trump, or up to the other guys to "do the right thing" when they have proven they don't care about doing the right thing.

Expand full comment
author

That's an interesting take. Let the rest of us decide.

Expand full comment
founding

Contrast this situation with Eric Garner, who sold single cigarettes to people who maybe didn't have enough cash to buy a whole pack, and then was wrestled to the ground and murdered by law enforcement. All I'm saying is, consequences from one end of the spectrum to the other are severely out of whack & unequal. And when you look at who gets away with things when caught vs who gets severe & overly harsh punishment, politicians and wealthy people who have connections fall on the former end. For me, this sort of thing highlights the whole spectrum of unequal application of law & punishment.

Expand full comment

Sadly, with USM deployment of women, sexual harassment grew to epidemic proportions. Journalist Dahr Jamail covered the Iraq War and is author of the book, Beyond the Green Zone. He spoke with me about the problem in a 2010 radio interview, available free here: http://www.radio4all.net/index.php/program/48298 Some 26,000 US Veterans are seeking information and a change of status. 'Diagnosed with personality disorder, they are now being treated for PTSD and or TBI. Dahr Jamail talks about another lawsuit by victims of Military Sexual Trauma.' The military tried to intimidate anyone who brought a sexual abuse or intimidation charge. They failed, and would eventually come to see the gigantic scale of the problem.

Former USM Colonel Ann Wright, served her country for 13 years and was deployed to Sierra Leon. She served another 16 years in the reserves. She was shocked by the steady flow of complaints by mostly women in the USM, of sexual harassment and sexual abuse including rape. And she helped to spark a wider national movement, calling attention to the problem and demanding reform. At first people scoffed at what Wright was claiming on behalf of women in the USM. Soon, however, multiple organizations helped establish that the problem was even worse than feared. See: "Military Fails to Protect Service Members from Rape— Class Action Lawsuit filed against the Pentagon," By Ann Wright 3/25/11

https://www.ivaw.org/blog/military-fails-protect-service-members-rape-class-action-lawsuit-filed-against-pentagon-ann-wright

Expand full comment

There are no comparative violations of the public trust. There are no Republican or Democratic forms of sexual harassment. There is only sexual harassment, a violation of laws pertaining to sex discrimination.* What Cuomo did was reprehensible and he must resign and allow the process to move forward.

Try to imagine what it would have been like to have the governor of New York harass you sexually and intimidate you to prevent you from speaking up. Reuter's 8/3/21 report on the allegations made by 11 women in Cuomo's office states: 'Investigators spoke to 179 people, James said. The probe revealed a "climate of fear" in which Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women, many of them young, she said.'

Also, 'Joon Kim, a former federal prosecutor and acting U.S. attorney in Manhattan, and Clark, an employment lawyer with experience in sexual harassment cases.'

'Kim said Cuomo's workplace was "rife with bullying, fear and intimidation" in which crossing him or his senior staff meant you would be "written off, cast aside or worse."'

These are classic definitions of sexual harassment. The evidence seems very clear and we should trust the women who are making the allegations against Cuomo.

There is no other choice for Cuomo now other than resignation. Should he force an impeachment he will be making a serious and costly political misstep. The people of New York will wind up footing the bill, and that's just not fair.

My hope is that during the coming days Cuomo's legal counsel will persuade him to resign. I find this paragraph about sexual harassment shocking: 'Sexual harassment, as such, is not a crime under state or federal law in the U.S. However, certain acts of sexual harassment are also crimes. Some other countries, including France and China, have enacted criminal laws to address sexual harassment specifically.'

*I think Congress should take up the question of a specific statute on sexual harassment. In the meantime it falls under the broad category of sex discrimination. I looked at this helpful page at Data Ops and others like it: 'Sexual Harassment - Legal Standards' https://www.workplacefairness.org/sexual-harassment-legal-rights 'Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.'

It makes me very emotional to consider what the women in Cuomo's office went through. I'm shocked and saddened by his refusal to resign, as the President and many others have insisted he do. His reluctance establishes his bigger core problem. He's a bully, more concerned about himself than he is about the people of New York, or the women he knows he sexually abused.

Expand full comment

Yes, the incidents described are over any line anywhere for any offece ever.

Expand full comment