Spitzer, Bruno: Feud is nothing personal The Associated Press
Despite their recent feuding, Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno said they held no grudges and were ready to work with each other. Spitzer said their relationship was “fine.” Bruno said “I have no personal animosity” — though the Republican leader also said he would ask Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to look into a report in the New York Post alleging that Spitzer and his staff conspired against Bruno. Cuomo and the state Inspector General are already looking into allegations related to Bruno’s use of state aircraft. Cuomo’s communications director Jeffrey Lerner issued a statement Monday saying the AG’s office had been gathering information related to the travel allegations and into reports that Spitzer targeted Bruno for surveillance. Lerner said the AG’s offi ce would “proceed accordingly.” “From my perspective, I have a fine relationship with Joe,” Spitzer said, answering reporters’ questions after an education event in Albany. “I do not see this as a personal issue, but rather a substantive one.” A simmering conflict between the Democratic governor and Bruno boiled over last week after the Times Union of Albany reported that Bruno had been using state aircraft to attend GOP fundraisers in Manhattan. Bruno blamed Spitzer for releasing those records and accused the governor of conducting political espionage, including spying by state police assigned to Bruno for security. Bruno said he did nothing wrong and characterized the situation during a separate news event Monday as “disappointing and kind of outrageous.” Spitzer, in his most direct comments about the feud since the news broke a week ago, denied the accusations Monday and said his office has done nothing more than comply with a request made under the Freedom of Information Law. “We have never asked the state police to do anything that wasn’t standard procedure, nor would we,” Spitzer said. “They do what they do pursuant to their own rules.” Bruno, meanwhile, issued a release, accusing Spitzer of abandoning issues important to New York to conduct a “personal, political war” against him. While he was critical of Spitzer, Bruno said he would work with the governor. The Senate is expected to reconvene next week. “I’m prepared to meet with the governor today, tomorrow, any day, to get these things done,” Bruno said. He also said: “I’m not sure I’m ever going to request a helicopter in the future.” Spitzer called the spate of allegations a distraction. He said he wants to focus on getting work done — namely the passage of several bills left over at the end of the Legislative session including the New York City traffic congestion pricing bill. “Joe, let us return to what the public rightfully wants us to do,” Spitzer said.
Bruno says he'll only do business with Spitzer in public 7/11/2007 By: Web Staff
ALBANY, N.Y. -- It's the been the talk of the Capitol for more than a week, and it doesn't look like Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno and Governor Spitzer will be playing nice anytime soon.
The Senate Majority Leader has called the Senate back into session on Monday to take care of unfinished business, but the news conference quickly turned to Bruno's ongoing feud with Governor Spitzer.
He insists that he's happy to meet with the Governor to do the people's business anytime, but only in public.
"I've got a problem with what goes on around here on the second floor with this Governor, with his people around him who have totally politicized everything from day one, who have made it almost impossible to move forward and govern," said Bruno.
In the meantime, Bruno says his house will be busy working on a host of issues. They include increasing senior property tax rebate checks by $200 million, creating jobs upstate and passing a bill giving the death penalty to cop killers.
Lawmakers also want to tackle a congestion pricing bill securing federal money to improve air quality and travel in New York City.
Is that why NYS is losing jobs because the businesses are moving out of the state. There are very few good paying jobs in NYS and we pay some of the highest taxes in the country. When the Governor, Senate, and Assembly leaders are all fighting with each other how will anything ever get done? We've been watching this type of thing for years and that was one reason the legislature could never get a budget passed on time.
I disagree...I believe NYS's pay scale is too low. Too low for our cost of living here. Too low after all the public sector jobs and unions and special programs have sucked money out of our paycheck before we even get it.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I disagree...I believe NYS's pay scale is too low. Too low for our cost of living here. Too low after all the public sector jobs and unions and special programs have sucked money out of our paycheck before we even get it.
All I'm saying is that take home pay is too small, maybe if there wasn't so many taxes taken out of it. You know, if you make 50k, 100k, 1m per year, but 3/4 of it has to be sent to the feds, state, county, then it doesn't leave you with much when you deposit your check. Maybe the companies would be paying enough IF THE GOVERNMENT COULD GET THEIR HANDS OUT OF THE RESIDENTS POCKETS.
Let's face it.....we are too expensive for ourselves and certainly china has 'drawn out' and 'capitalized' on this point.......
either that or...the powers that be(here in the States) are sucking sucking and sucking it all up before it ever hits the floor under the table they all sit at......
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
Spitzer aides linked to leak AG: Governor’s offi ce compiled, released data on Bruno flights BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press
Two top aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer plotted to discredit Republican rival Joseph Bruno by using the state police to recreate and release to a newspaper records that tracked the Senate majority leader’s whereabouts, according to an investigative report released Monday. Spitzer immediately suspended his longtime top media spokesman, Darren Dopp, and reassigned the other, homeland and public security chief William Howard, following Monday’s report from Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. The report found Dopp and Howard, with the direct, unprecedented assistance of state Deputy Superintendent Preston Felton, conspired to release politically damaging information about Bruno’s use of state aircraft, including trips that included political fundraisers. No one was accused of violating the law, but the report found policies designed to protect public officials’ safety were broken for political gain. Spitzer said he knew nothing of the operation. “Clearly this was not part of a broader package,” Spitzer said. “I will not tolerate this behavior . . . I apologize to Senator Bruno, as I did earlier today,” Spitzer told reporters. “I apologize to the people of the state of New York.” The report is a blow to Spitzer, who was elected in November largely on the strength of his pledge to rid Albany of the corruption and political infighting that led to gridlock and tarnished its reputation nationwide. He won with a record share of the vote and was still enjoying high ratings in public opinion polls when, according to the Cuomo report, the scheme against Bruno was being hatched. When the scandal erupted earlier this month, Spitzer said he believed Dopp and Howard were simply responding to a state Freedom of Information Law request for records by a newspaper. On Monday, however, the governor said he accepts the version of events spelled out in the Cuomo report, including a conclusion that the records against Bruno were being compiled before any Freedom of Information request was filed and that staff used the “pretext” of a media request to make it public. Howard “caused the acting superintendent of the state police to create documents detailing where the state police had driven Senator Bruno, and report details of Senator Bruno’s requests for ground transportation, upcoming schedules, and changes to those schedules,” the report said. “This conduct deviated from state police standard operating procedures and past practices, and was not required by FOIL.” The report said the records were created “without considering any potential for security concerns” for Bruno, the 78-year-old head of the state Republican party who has said he required state police transportation because of death threats in past years made against him. “The past policy of the state police was to limit FOIL requests for full schedules to protect the security of public officials. The current policy appears to still limit disclosure of the governor and lieutenant governor’s full travel itinerary so as to protect their security and privacy,” the report stated. One passage in the Cuomo report says that on May 23, Dopp wrote Rich Baum, a senior Spitzer adviser, that “records exist going way back” about Bruno’s use of state aircraft on trips that included political fundraisers. “Also, I think there is a new and different way to proceed re media. Will explain tomorrow.” Dopp then wrote another e-mail to Baum after a story in the Albany Times Union about a federal grand jury investigating Bruno’s investments in thoroughbred horses, the report states. Dopp wrote: “Think travel story would fit nicely in the mix.”
The report found Dopp and Howard, with the direct, unprecedented assistance of state Deputy Superintendent Preston Felton, conspired to release politically damaging information about Bruno’s use of state aircraft, including trips that included political fundraisers. No one was accused of violating the law, but the report found policies designed to protect public officials’ safety were broken for political gain. Spitzer said he knew nothing of the operation.
Okay, first I was never really a fan of Bruno...but Spitzer and his crew has actually made me feel somewhat sorry for the guy.
Second...Dopp and Howard should not have been suspended. Spitzer should have fired their a** for conspiracy! Not to mention the use of taxpayer's dollars to try to accomplish their mission!
Thirdly, "Spitzer knew nothing of the operation"???.....What does he think, we were born yesterday. That's one of many things I don't like about the dems...they think we are all just stupid, ignorant, dimwitted people who can't think for ourselves so they think they can step in and do the thinking and taking care of, for us. To that I say, 'nonsense', 'poppy cock', 'bullsh**'!
Well, I guess they must be somewhat correct....SOMEBODY keeps voting these jokers in office!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
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