Governor Cuomo is trying to persuade other statewide candidates to refuse the Working Families Party endorsement if they choose an independent to run against him. His goal is to punish the party if it does not endorse him.
There is a battle going on for the future of the Democratic Party. Will it be a progressive party, or will it vie with Republicans to hold the line on taxes and budgets? Will it fight for public education or for privatization?
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Union leaders are helping put the squeeze on too, threatening the party with financial “collapse” if Cuomo is not given the endorsement:
http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/05/sources-wfps-future-at-stake-in-endorsement-fight/
If the WFP endorses Cuomo, it means nothing, it stands for nothing, it does not matter.
Teachers of New York to Andrew Cuomo:
The people of New York know their ABCs. We taught them well.
Anybody But Cuomo.
Great slogan. Works in Pennsylvania too.
ABC – Anybody but Corbett!
Diane has been using that slogan for some time now.
There is a historic opportunity here to make Ed Deform THE ISSUE of this election, and the issue can be framed around a simple slogan:
New Yorkers know their ABCs.
Anybody but Cuomo.
A battle for our children.
The opposing candidate needs to make sure that he can’t open his mouth or show his face anywhere in public without hearing this, without having to answer for pushing rolling the Common Core Testing juggernaut over the state’s defenseless children.
Love the slogan!
Just because union leadership wishes to endorse Cuomo through either the Working families or Democratic parties does not mean that the rank and file must comply. Go Green.
If the union leadership endorsement doesn’t bring in the rank and file votes, and it won’t, then their support is meaningless.
Endorse policies that benefit children, teaching and learning, not political hacks.
Voters can decide for themselves. We are not stupid.
amen to that!
As a lifelong Dem, all I can say is that I will never vote for Cuomo again. He makes Nixon look honest.
Cuomo will not get my vote either this time around.
He is a disgrace to the people of New York.
This is clear evidence that this challenge is most unwelcome and so most effective.
Cuomo isn’t the only one seeking to punish the WFP: Union leaders here are seeking the same thing
http://perdidostreetschool.blogspot.com/2014/05/uft-other-union-leaders-threaten.html
http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2014/05/sources-wfps-future-at-stake-in-endorsement-fight/
And might I add (although it may be slightly off topic) that this is what happens when union leadership is allowed to be disconnected from their rank and file members: The leadership goes their merry little way and a bully politician is left free to do what he wants. It is no wonder at all why there is a fight going on for the future of the Democratic Party.
And little doubt as to who will win.
They are ALL in bed together frolicking in a very large pile of money.
ABC – anyone but Christie. That works for NJ too.
I’m sick of both parties. They are in cahoots with each other over this education debacle. At this point, it is hard to know who stands for what; you cannot vote a party line anymore.
I do believe that we the people are waking up, waking out of the hypnotic state we’ve been. I do believe many won’t take it anymore. I do hope we can change the future.
The Dimocrats and the Repugnicans are two rival criminal gangs who hold a street fight every now and then to determine who will get the bulk of the plutocrat grift during the coming term. Red and blue. Gang colors.
From the article (and pardon the French).
Sometimes an off-color word is the only word to truly describe a person.
I believe this democrat hit the nail squarely on the head in describing Cuomo.
” He’s a right-wing douchebag,’” said a New York Democrat.”
For a time, corporations were spending fortunes on advertising to try to sell U.S. women on douches, douchebags, and other “feminine hygiene” products. These products were unnatural, expensive, useless, and, it turns out, exceedingly dangerous if used frequently.
Perhaps these were the attributes that the New York Democrat had in mind.
HA! You just made my day Bob.
Interestingly, Nate Silver’s FiveThirtyEight.com chimed in on the race today and how a 3rd party might affect Cuomo’s position.
http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/three-way-governors-race-could-get-messy-for-cuomo/
Cuomo proves yet again that he doesn’t actually believe in democracy. He comes across as closer to Vladimir Putin than to a traditional liberal Democrat.
Vladimir Cuomo. I like that. Going to use it in all my future references to New York’s worst governor since Mario Cuomo. People should remember that this bozo laid the groundwork for the housing collapse when he was Clinton’s HUD Sec. This isn’t his first rodeo.
Awesome moniker.
It looks like the WFP has reached an agreement with Cuomo thanks to deBlasio’s blessings. Strange bedfellows indeed. What the people want doesn’t really matter because polls show we don’t want Cuomo. But this man is a savvy operator and it seems a snake to boot. The WFP is a joke for going along with this. When is someone going to scratch the back of the voters because I for one don’t believe Cuomo will keep his word.
I have read conflicting accounts. From what I can tell, Cuomo is not a lock with the WFP. Time will tell.
A group seeking a voter referendum for a higher minimum wage collected over 300,000 signatures to amend law “A”, so democrats and republicans pulled a fast one and banded together to repeal law “A”, and passed law “B” which is a weaker version of what the petitions wanted. Less of a wage increase, less cost of living… The end result of all this is that the petitions are now worthless, alot of people are angry and disillusioned with the democratic proces, and now won’t vote in November. The Michigan AFT calls this a victory. Am I surprised? No, but the idiocy of the democrats is amazing.