New York Post

Dem disarray when Cuo’s talking truth

- BOB McMANUS bob@bobmcmanus.nyc

HERE he comes. To save the day? Andrew Cuomo, always intrusive and never in doubt, just tucked into Joe Biden and the Democratic Party on America’s self-inflicted border-hopper crisis.

“The migrant issue is creating mayhem across the country and showing the ineffectiv­eness and schisms in the Democratic Party,” writes ex-Gov. Bigfoot for The Hill — a policy-wonkcentri­c, Washington-based venue.

That is to say, a site watched closely by political pros from sea to shining sea: Cuomo sent a message not likely to be missed — on two levels.

“President Biden’s administra­tion has not been able to solve the migrant problem,” he continued, “primarily because of the divided opinion within our own party.”

He left out the fecklessne­ss, the bad faith and the cowardice, but what the hell: Given Biden’s cratering popularity — one recent poll had him trailing Donald Trump among Hispanic voters — it was only a matter of time before some, umm, public-spirited private citizen spoke out.

He’s got nothing to lose

So why not a Democrat of some residual national stature, oozing ambition and with nothing to lose? It doesn’t hurt that Cuomo’s core message demonstrab­ly is true.

Then there is this: Substitute “Mayor Adams” for “President Biden” in Cuomo’s diagnosis and you get a better sense of what’s going on. Cuomo is very much into self-serving tough love — emphasis on self-serving — and he just delivered a heavy dose.

One that invites two very obvious questions: Why has it fallen to Andrew Cuomo, of all people, to challenge the president? Where has Eric Adams been hiding?

Fair? Never mind fair — this is politics.

What Cuomo describes as “mayhem” is rampant in New York City — on Midtown sidewalks and adjacent to Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennett Field, most especially. But the migrant invasion has also upended municipal finances, rendered Gov. Hochul deaf and dumb, underscore­d City Hall’s refusal to lay blame where it belongs and exacerbate­d New Yorkers’ legitimate concerns over post-pandemic crime and civic disorder.

As situations in search of a savior go, this one certainly is compelling.

New York wasteland

And as for saviors in search of a situation — well, Andrew Cuomo never disappoint­s. (Remember those weather-crisis wind breakers?)

Now he writes in The Hill, “Mayor Eric Adams stands virtually alone.”

Sure he does — but maybe not so much as a lonely hero as an irresistib­ly tempting target.

For sure, Cuomo comes to the discussion hauling more baggage than a mule train. Friday the feds reminded New Yorkers about the sexual-harassment allegation­s that helped drive him from office. And you can’t mention the man’s name without somebody recalling a departed grandmothe­r.

But, as Mario Cuomo is said to have observed, there is nothing shorter than a voter’s memory. They tend to act in the moment, and at this moment the migrant invasion is what matters most.

Sure, Andrew’s words respect party pieties — he says he’s a proud progressiv­e — and they sure appear to be paving the way for a mayoral primary challenge come ’25.

But so what? The nation, and New York in particular, is suffering an epic public-policy failure, and the only Democrat speaking truth to political power is Andrew Mark Cuomo.

And that should count for something.

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