Gov. Cuomo Will Be Re-elected Next Year

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NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo is introducing legislation that will ease restrictions on abortions after 23 weeks’ gestation in New York. The law would, first of all, go beyond the usual “life and health of the mother” clause and specify that a pregnancy may be terminated late in the pregnancy if the fetus is not viable. (My understanding is that late termination of a non-viable fetus is generally considered legal under the “health of the mother” clause, already, so this really is just a clarification more than a change.) It would allow licensed health care practitioners, not just doctors, to perform some abortions. And it would remove abortion entirely from penal law and instead regulate it through the state’s health laws.

I don’t know who the Republicans might run against Cuomo next year, but if they come up with some homophobic gun-totin’ Fetus Person, ol’ Andy’s got it in the bag. And if the New York legislature fights him on this, and the issue makes a big splash, it’s going to be a big bag. And yes, I realize upstate is more conservative than the New York City area, but it’s also less populated. And I suspect even the most conservative county in New York is liberal compared to, say, Mississippi. Social conservatism in particular doesn’t go very far in this state.

The governor has said that his Reproductive Health Act would be one plank of a 10-part Women’s Equality Act that also would include equal pay and anti-discrimination provisions. Conservative groups, still stinging from the willingness of Republican lawmakers to go along with Mr. Cuomo’s push to legalize same-sex marriage in 2011, are mobilizing against the proposal. Seven thousand New Yorkers who oppose the measure have sent messages to Mr. Cuomo and legislators via the Web site of the New York State Catholic Conference.

This could be fun. Bring it on.

I was not much impressed with Cuomo early in his first term, as he started out as Mr. Austerity — balance the budget without raising taxes, etc. I’d like to see him make a stronger argument for public investment. But I won’t have any problem voting for him next year.

Naturally, the Fetus People are screaming that Gov. Cuomo is introducing “abortion on demand,” but in effect the only effective difference would be that it clarifies non-viability of a fetus as part of “life and health of the mother.” (Clue to Fetus People: That means the fetus is already dead or has no hope of survival, so you can stop hollering about killing babies, thanks much.) Currently New York has a law on the books that leaves out “health,” but that is not in effect because it’s been overruled by federal courts.

13 thoughts on “Gov. Cuomo Will Be Re-elected Next Year”

  1. I’ve never been a big fan of Cuomo Jr.
    But what he did on gay marriage, and this, are starting to make me think that the guy really is his father’s son, and a real Democrat.

    There’s a Rick Santorum and dead baby joke here, but I think I’ll leave it alone.

    Next up, Andrew, for your consideration: NY should have some sort of a tax on Wall Street and the investment class – like, say, maybe a micro-tax on stock and bond transactions if they aren’t held for a certain period of time. To many “flippers” out there, making profits off of buying and selling stocks the same day/hour/minute/seconds-later, instead of buying them for a long-term investment

  3. In case anyone forget what a shameless douche-nozzle Senator Limpseed Cornpone Grahamcrackers (R – Closet) is, read this.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/17/lindsey-graham-sequester_n_2706404.html

    To avoid “Sequestration,” he wants to have the President to put Obamacare on the chopping block.
    Uh, yeah, right, Senator Douche-nozzle.

    The Republicans are obviously scared to death that it’ll succeed – and then what will they have to pitch their epic hysterical hissy-fits over ? (Not that I doubt for a second that they’ll find SOMEthing – or make sh*t up out of whole cloth, like that “Death Panel” nonsense).

    • Yeah, I can’t argue with beemer. I don’t doubt Cuomo is more about expedience than principle. But it says something if expedience is pushing him left.

  6. If Gov. Cuomo can get a modification of abortion passed, I’d feel better about voting for him.

  9. Is Friedman married to somebody whose daddy is a senator and whose mommy is the sister of an NYT editorial board member? Or does he have naked pictures of somebody? I have read enough takedowns of his stupid that I can’t see how he keeps getting published. I heard he lost his money with Madoff, so I can see how he overcomes shame in order to survive, but who feels the need to help him out instead of pointing him toward a dignified career doing followup to a municipal post-consumer product stream management vehicle?

  10. Gulag… Here’s a comment from that Friedman link that about says it all.

    written by berick, February 18, 2013 12:18

    Does anyone else bridle when reading “Apple has not spent its cash hoard, but I’ll bet anything that one of them is the uncertain economic and tax environment in this country.”

    The word “bet” chokes me. Shouldn’t any journalist worth his salt be finding out if his key “fact” is real or not before blathering?

  11. Swami,
    I’d ‘bet ‘anything that the real “bet” is probably between Friedman and Bobo, as to who can write the most insipid stupid sh*t in his columns, and still keept his job.

    My guess is the loser has to buy the winner the salad-bar lunch special at Applebee’s, and a cab-ride with some furrin’ driver, back to his mansion.

  12. Bill Bush — Friedman is married to the daughter of real estate mogul. The family’s company is a national builder and they did lose a bundle is the real estate melt down. (I forget the company name.)

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