16 minute read
FIRST READ
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was criticized for not initially supporting the release of materials gathered as part of his chamber’s impeachment investigation into Cuomo.
IMPEACHMENT PROBE BACK ON
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Just as quickly as Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation would bring an end to his chamber’s impeachment probe, he reversed course. Heastie made his original announcement bringing the investigation to a close before the chamber’s Judiciary Committee was even scheduled to meet in the wake of Cuomo’s resignation. But the decision was met with backlash, with both Democrats and Republicans calling to continue with impeachment even after Cuomo is gone. Just days after his initial announcement, Heastie backtracked. Still before the Judiciary Committee was set to meet, the speaker said it would release an impeachment report based on the monthslong investigation conducted by outside attorneys hired by the committee. It remains unclear whether the Assembly will draft
FAST FRIENDS
As NYC politicians cozied up to incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul last week, none looked happier than Mayor Bill de Blasio. De Blasio praised the “sane” conversation, marking just how low the bar was for interactions with her predecessor. The pair reportedly discussed COVID-19 responses and school reopenings. And – if the soon-to-be unemployed mayor is looking for his next gig – maybe job leads in Hochul’s administration.
– Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, while being arrested at a tenant protest, via Brooklyn Paper
– Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, via Jon Campbell of Gannett Albany and vote on articles of impeachment. And Heastie has not definitely committed to a time frame for the release of the report, saying in his most recent comments on the matter that the chamber would work “expeditiously” to get it out.
HOCHUL NARROWS SEARCH FOR LG
As Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul prepares to make the leap to governor, speculation abounds over who she will pick to replace her through 2022 and serve as her second-in-command. Although she has made no commitment yet, Hochul said her pick will come from New York City, balancing out her Western New York roots. Her choice of lieutenant governor could signal that she’s looking to have a better relationship with the city after Cuomo’s acrimonious one. Meetings with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams point in this direction as well, although Williams said he has no interest in the lieutenant governor role despite seeking it in the 2018 Democratic primary. The list of prospective candidates is a long one, with a number of downstate lawmakers jockeying for the role. However, state Sens. Brian Benjamin and Jamaal Bailey seem like frontrunners, with Hochul reportedly vetting them. The appointment will likely be her first major act as New York’s new governor.
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie was criticized for not initially supporting the release of materials gathered as part of his chamber’s impeachment investigation into Cuomo.
IMPEACHMENT PROBE BACK ON
Just as quickly as Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie announced that Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s resignation would bring an end to his chamber’s impeachment probe, he reversed course. Heastie made his original announcement bringing the investigation to a close before the chamber’s Judiciary Committee was even scheduled to meet in the wake of Cuomo’s resignation. But the decision was met with backlash, with both Democrats and Republicans calling to continue with impeachment even after Cuomo is gone. Just days after his initial announcement, Heastie backtracked. Still before the Judiciary Committee was set to meet, the speaker said it would release an impeachment report based on the monthslong investigation conducted by outside attorneys hired by the committee. It remains unclear whether the Assembly will draft
FAST FRIENDS
As NYC politicians cozied up to incoming Gov. Kathy Hochul last week, none looked happier than Mayor Bill de Blasio. De Blasio praised the “sane” conversation, marking just how low the bar was for interactions with her predecessor. The pair reportedly discussed COVID-19 responses and school reopenings. And – if the soon-to-be unemployed mayor is looking for his next gig – maybe job leads in Hochul’s administration.
– Assembly Member Marcela Mitaynes, while being arrested at a tenant protest, via Brooklyn Paper
– Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, via Jon Campbell of Gannett Albany and vote on articles of impeachment. And Heastie has not definitely committed to a time frame for the release of the report, saying in his most recent comments on the matter that the chamber would work “expeditiously” to get it out.
HOCHUL NARROWS SEARCH FOR LG
As Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul prepares to make the leap to governor, speculation abounds over who she will pick to replace her through 2022 and serve as her second-in-command. Although she has made no commitment yet, Hochul said her pick will come from New York City, balancing out her Western New York roots. Her choice of lieutenant governor could signal that she’s looking to have a better relationship with the city after Cuomo’s acrimonious one. Meetings with Mayor Bill de Blasio and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams point in this direction as well, although Williams said he has no interest in the lieutenant governor role despite seeking it in the 2018 Democratic primary. The list of prospective candidates is a long one, with a number of downstate lawmakers jockeying for the role. However, state Sens. Brian Benjamin and Jamaal Bailey seem like frontrunners, with Hochul reportedly vetting them. The appointment will likely be her first major act as New York’s new governor.
CityAndStateNY.com August 23, 20216 LG FINALISTSLIKELY
THE STATE’S NEXT NO. 2 COULD COME FROM THIS UNOFFICIAL GROUP OF CONTENDERS.
BY ZACH WILLIAMS AND CAITLIN DORMAN
KATHY HOCHUL is looking for the Kamala Harris to her Joe Biden. While a spokesperson for her office insisted there’s no shortlist yet, we cobbled together conventional wisdom, rumors and public statements to make … a shortlist. Here’s what each not-quitecandidate could bring to the table.
STATE SEN. JAMAAL BAILEY
THE BRIDGE BUILDER
Who better to help Hochul broker deals with the state Senate and Assembly than a legislator with deep ties to Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Carl Heastie? But is it worth giving up his office and leading the Bronx machine when everything is going so well?
STATE SEN. BRIAN BENJAMIN
THE WOULD-BE COMPTROLLER
After an unsuccessful run for New York City comptroller, Benjamin is still actively looking to level up. It could be the perfect political marriage: He gets his higher-profile job, and Hochul gets a head-start at building support with the Black New Yorkers who supported him.
BRONX BOROUGH PRESIDENT RUBEN DIAZ JR.
THE RELUCTANT LIEUTENANT
He would bring a wealth of experience and a network of Black and Latino voters to Hochul’s ticket, but a breakneck schedule of ribbon-cuttings doesn’t sound like a good fit for someone who dropped out of the mayoral race to spend more time with his family.
STATE SEN. ALESSANDRA BIAGGI
THE LEFTIST DARLING
It was only a few weeks ago that Biaggi was dropping her own hints of a primary challenge to Cuomo. Times have changed, but that doesn’t mean her ambitions have. Biaggi could give Hochul’s administration some leftist bona fides, but she may prefer to just go it alone in 2022.
ASSEMBLY MEMBER RON KIM
THE ANTI-CUOMO
A lot of the names on this list have no love lost with Cuomo, but no one would twist the knife in his back quite so much as tapping outspoken critic Ron Kim. Unfortunately for Hochul, Kim is also critical of her more passive approach to the LG’s duties.
A Q&A with Assembly Member
RODNEYSE BICHOTTE HERMELYN
Who in New York’s government is coordinating earthquake relief efforts to Haiti? It’s a concerted effort by government, both city and state. My office has been speaking to Chuck Schumer’s office. We reached out to the lieutenant governor’s office and the attorney general’s office. We’ve been very active on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s side. He announced the Mayor’s Fund (to Advance New York City) is working with organizations on the ground. We want help for the smaller, legitimate organizations that are Haitian led. How has your office contributed thus far? My office has turned into a donation center. So people are just coming in. News media are coming in. I get calls every day from news outlets on this and we’re talking about what’s going on currently on the ground in Haiti. As you know, the death toll has risen. It started at 29, then it went to 300, then it went to 704, then it went to 1,300 and now it’s more than 1,900. It’s just been climbing and it’s going to climb substantially.
What lessons did you learn from the 2010 earthquake relief effort that is helping now? We were just all over the place and we had a lot of these big NGOs (nongovernmental organizations) come in and take over our country. We’ve learned since then what organizations are on the ground that we can work with. We’ve also created our own way of funding. There’s a community trust, which is a fund people are donating to that goes to the organizations on the ground. We have organizations led by people who left New York or the United States, Haitian Americans who are now living and have lived in Haiti since the earthquake. They have their organizations there. And so we’re more prepared in terms of how to organize a first responder team. We know how to get there. We know who to contact. We know what to expect in terms of supplies needed for the first responders as well as supplies needed for people who are stuck in the rubble and the injured. There were a lot of amputations and a need for orthopedic surgeries. So we’re more prepared and we’re responding more quickly. There are other countries who are offering their help like Israel. I spoke to the Consulate General of Israel, and they are sending their people. If City & State readers want to contribute, who should they contact? I would suggest reaching out to all the elected officials of Haitian origins. We have New York City Council Members Farah Louis and Mathieu Eugene, as well as three incoming council members – Rita Joseph, Chi Ossé and Mercedes Narcisse. And then there’s the Haitian American Legislative Caucus of the state Assembly, which includes myself, Michaelle Solages, Kimberly Jean-Pierre and Clyde Vanel. Also, we have Assembly Members Mathylde Frontus and Phara Souffrant Forrest. – Ralph R. Ortega
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Absolutely inevitable
Former Rep. Max Rose, who served in Afghanistan, on the government’s fall to the Taliban.
By Jeff Coltin
Rose was an infantry platoon leader when stationed in Afghanistan’s Kandahar Province for 10 months.
NEARLY TWO DECADES after the U.S. military launched a war in Afghanistan responding to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the Taliban has retaken the country. The offensive by the Islamist military organization comes amid a planned withdrawal of U.S. combat troops. Former Rep. Max Rose was once one of those troops, serving as an infantry platoon leader in the U.S. Army in Kandahar Province for 10 months, from 2012 to 2013. After losing reelection to Congress in 2020, Rose recently wrapped up a six-month stint as a COVID-19 senior adviser in the U.S. Department of Defense, though he said his role didn’t have any direct implications on the presence in Afghanistan. Rose has said that he hasn’t ruled out another run for Congress against Rep. Nicole Malliotakis in 2022. City & State interviewed him on Aug. 16 about why he thinks getting involved in Afghanistan was the right thing to do, why the current situation was “inevitable” and what he thinks New Yorkers should be doing about it.
This morning, we’re seeing videos of Afghans flooding the tarmac at the airport in Kabul, trying desperately to flee the country. What’s going through your head when you see that?
First and foremost – and I’m seeing this all over my Facebook feed and text messages and calls from buddies – it’s important for us to reemphasize today, more so than most other days, how sincerely grateful and thankful we are for those who served in Afghanistan. Many of whom made multiple deployments, made incredible sacrifices. And that service wasn’t for nought. They accomplished something. It was real, in response to the greatest domestic attack this nation has ever experienced. And at
a moment in history – 2001, post-USS Cole, post-embassy bombings in Africa – it was a sentiment throughout the world that America didn’t have a backbone. That America won’t respond no matter what happened. And we showed them that that’s not the case. That we do have backbone as a nation. There’s been no successful attack that has emanated from Afghanistan. And that’s directly tied to their heroic actions. With that being said though, you can’t let that gratitude and that acknowledgement of history bleed into a perpetual support for the allocation of military resources, and the sacrifice of treasure and, most importantly, blood, in pursuit of perpetuating what is an untenable situation from a geopolitical as well as from a military standpoint. Absolutely untenable.
Now, the videos that we’re seeing right now are heart-wrenching, heartbreaking, and I’m sure that a deep dive will be conducted to figure out the ways in which this process could have gone better. But with that being said though, the end of this movie was inevitable, absolutely inevitable. And the speed with which it occurred, despite 20 years of investment in the Afghan national government and military just shows and proves out its inevitability. That is not a justification for staying there.
This leads to the last point, which I think is the most essential. We can’t let a movement and an effort to end what is America’s longest war, we can’t let that bleed into naive isolationism or a dangerous reduction in America’s capacity to defend the homeland and conduct counterterrorism operations abroad. There is today not a patch of ground that America cannot kinetically touch in defense of the homeland, and in response to entities that threaten the homeland, or America’s interests abroad. We have to continue to invest in that, whether that capacity will one day maybe touch Afghanistan, or tens of other nations that could pose a threat to us.
Your concern is clearly with national security. Do you think American involvement in Afghanistan has made life safer for Americans? What about for Afghans?
Absolutely. I 100% believe that our involvement in that conflict and our resolute involvement has showed that – for the last 20 years there has not been a direct attack that has emanated from Afghanistan. And, by the way, it has also sent a message that in the event of a significant attack on the homeland, America will respond in a resolute and fierce manner.
With that being said though, none of that is a justification for (a) perpetual warfare commitment to an untenable situation. So now we need to transition to a new stage, and that new stage is centered around our capacity to respond to terrorist threats no matter where they emanate from, Afghanistan or otherwise. And I am a firm believer in the United States of America maintaining that capacity. But also not committing an ungodly amount of treasure and harrowing levels of service members to something that cannot be resolved with our military.
Overall, do you think it was the right decision for the U.S. to start a war in Afghanistan 20 years ago?
100%
I’ve seen blame placed on President Joe Biden specifically, criticism that the pullout was done irresponsible. Do you blame any particular leader? Is that the right perspective?
In terms of the execution of the withdrawal, there’s no doubt that the Pentagon and the National Security Council and the State Department will evaluate what could have gone better. But that does not take away from the fact that the decision itself to end this war was eminently justified, whether that’s under President (Donald) Trump, or under President Biden. And the fact that you have some people who are defending President Trump’s peace deal with the Taliban a year ago, now vociferously demonizing President Biden, just speaks to the lunacy of politics in the modern day.
I believe Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who you ran against last year, has fully blamed Biden.
On this day especially, Nicole’s opinions are irrelevant. What matters is what is best for the long-term national security of the United States of America, while also preserving our values and properly utilizing finite resources. That’s what matters here. On this day, more than any, you’re going to see folks taking advantage of the opportunity for retweets and sound bites. That’s not how you conduct national security. You have to conduct national security with an eye towards a global view, not being naive. You can be a naive isolationist, you can be a naive jingoist. And we don’t have the time for either of those today. And we certainly don’t have the time for anyone taking a hyperpolitical lens on this, particularly at a moment when Donald Trump forthrightly set the table for this withdrawal in the first place.
Do you think there’s anything New York’s state and city governments should be doing about the situation in Afghanistan?
As a city that is more familiar with aiding and supporting diasporas and communities abroad more than any other – certainly any other city in America, perhaps more than any city in the world – this is not a situation that New Yorkers are unfamiliar with in terms of the opportunity to send aid abroad. But what I would say that I think is really especially important is that for New Yorkers, in terms of their civic participation, to center the conversation on how, in the era of 2021 and beyond, how do we preserve this country’s national security? With the understanding that New York City all too often, has a bull’s-eye on it. And that means that we can’t just, with a blindfold on, continue to engage the world as if it’s 2001, 2002, 2003 and continue to expend resources in that manner. (We have to be) constantly evolving, constantly reshuffling, constantly thinking about how do we make the right investments. And New Yorkers, being the leaders that they are, they need to demand that of their elected officials, particularly at the federal level.
