How dirty a deal is this? Gov. Kathy Hochul is apparently willing to not make Upstaters wait nine months to elect a replacement for UN-bound Rep. Elise Stefanik — as long as President Trump lets her continue charging that $9 “congestion” toll, slamming a different bunch of her own constituents.
The gov and prez have been chatting for days about whether he’ll pull the plug on the tolls, so this sure looks like attempted blackmail — and also, as Trump might put it, not very bright.
New York Democrats — specifically, state Attorney General Tish James and Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg — spent years trying to take Trump down with lawfare.
Trump nonetheless took office expressing every hope of helping out his old hometown.
Yet now another New York Dem, Hochul, threatens to mess with his work in Washington with an outrageous move to deny the GOP a House seat (and 877,000 North Country voters their representation) for most of a year.
But even if she protects her tolling power with this trade, it comes at the price any longterm friendly relationship with the president.
It’s not even a good deal for Trump: He’d be breaking his vows to multiple New York leaders (and millions of New York voters) that he’d stop the tolls.
Far better to face down Hochul — who may well blink, just as she’s repeatedly backed down when the Legislature refuses to work her will.
She knows perfectly well that the president can and will make her pay if she does go ahead with the threat, and so declares herself his enemy. (House Speaker Mike Johnson won’t be a fan, either.)
Meanwhile, the guy who most wants her to do it, House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jefferies, can’t do much for her.
Tellingly, Hochul on Tuesday was denying any ownership of the dirty-trick bill, telling reporters, “I don’t introduce bills. It’s not the role of the governor” — as if she doesn’t have allies introduce bills all the time.
Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins wasn’t having it, telling the press of Hochul’s role: “It began with her and if she’s interested in holding it that’s fine.”
Believe who you will; they’ve certainly all been dishonest about the bill being anything except a bid to weaken Republicans in House.
(And perhaps in Albany, too: Should it become law, it allows similar game-playing over state legislative seats, including an expected Senate vacancy that could become a GOP pickup.)
Hmm: Hochul’s allies floated another explanation for why she put the dirty-trick bill on hold: The “optics” aren’t good.
They sure aren’t: Messing with election law to score a short-term partisan gain (or, perhaps worse, to strike a squalid deal) is pretty much the opposite of “defending democracy.”
The gov’s best bet is to fully back down now, before Trump calls her bluff.
