Cuomo and Newsom Symbolize the Rot of Corporate Democrats - and the Dire
Need for Progressive Populism
By Norman Solomon, Reader Supported News
17 February 21
The governors of New York and California the most populous states led by
Democrats now symbolize how slick liberal images are no substitute for
genuinely progressive priorities.
After 10 years as New Yorks governor, Andrew Cuomo is facing an uproar over
revelations that his administration intentionally and drastically
undercounted the deaths from COVID in nursing homes. Meanwhile, in
California, the once-bright political glow of Gavin Newsom has dimmed, in
large part because of personally hypocritical elitism and a zig-zag middle
ground approach to public-health safeguards during the pandemic, unduly
deferring to business interests.
The political circumstances differ: Cuomo has been in conflict with New York
progressives for many years over key policy matters, whereas Newsom was
somewhat of a golden boy for Golden State progressives if they didnt look
too closely at his corporate-friendly policies. But some underlying patterns
are similar.
Both Cuomo and Newsom know how to talk progressive, but theyre corporate
Democrats to the core. On many issues in the state legislature, Cuomo has
ended up aligning himself with Republican lawmakers to thwart progressive
initiatives. In California, where a right-wing petition drive is likely to
force Newsom into a recall election, the governors moderate record is
hardly cause for the states huge number of left-leaning voters to be
enthusiastic about him.
Anyone who thinks that the current Cuomo scandal about nursing-home deaths
is a recent one-off problem, rather than reflecting a deep-seated corporate
orientation, should take a look at investigative reporting by David Sirota
that appeared nine months ago under the headline Cuomo Gave Immunity to
Nursing Home Execs After Big Donations Now People Are Dying. Sirota
wrote:
As Gov. Andrew Cuomo faced a spirited challenge in his bid to win New
Yorks 2018 Democratic primary, his political apparatus got a last-minute
boost: a powerful health care industry group suddenly poured more than $1
million into a Democratic committee backing his campaign. Less than two
years after that flood of cash from the Greater New York Hospital
Association, Cuomo signed legislation last month quietly shielding hospital
and nursing-home executives from the threat of lawsuits stemming from the
coronavirus outbreak. The provision, inserted into an annual budget bill by
Cuomos aides, created one of the nations most explicit immunity
protections for health care industry officials, according to legal experts.
On the other side of the continent, Newsom is second to none in sounding the
alarm about climate change and the need to move away from fossil fuels. But
Newsweek reports that during his first two years as governor, Newsoms
administration approved more than 8,000 oil and gas permits on state
lands. He continues to issue many fracking permits. (As The Wall Street
Journal noted days ago, fracking is now the source of most oil and gas
produced in the U.S.)
Gov. Newsoms immediate predecessor, Jerry Brown, became fond of crowing
that he governed the way a person would steer a canoe, paddling sometimes on
the left and sometimes on the right. The metaphor did not answer the
question of where the boat was headed.
It may be relevant that Cuomo and Newsom grew up in the nurturing shadow of
extraordinary privilege, making them ill-positioned to see much beyond the
comfortable bubbles surrounding them.
Andrew Cuomos father, Mario, was New Yorks governor for three terms. At
age 35, the younger Cuomo was appointed to be assistant secretary of Housing
and Urban Development by President Clinton, who promoted him to HUD
secretary four years later. Such powerful backers propelled him toward the
governors mansion in Albany.
From the outset, Newsom has been enmeshed with power. As longtime
Californiajournalist Dan Walters recently pointed out, Gov. Gavin Newsom
wasnt born to wealth and privilege but as a youngster he was enveloped in
it as the surrogate son of billionaire Gordon Getty. Later, Gettys personal
trust fund managed by Newsoms father provided initial financing for
business ventures that made Newsom wealthy enough to segue into a political
career as a protégé of San Franciscos fabled political mastermind, Willie
Brown.
Its possible to transcend such pampered upbringings Franklin Delano
Roosevelt certainly did but failures to show credible concern for the
working class and serve their interests have put both Cuomo and Newsom in
todays political pickles.
Like all politicians, Andrew Cuomo and Gavin Newsom are expendable as far as
the corporate system is concerned. If their individual brands lose appeal,
plenty of other corporate-power servants are eagerly available.
When elected officials like Cuomo and Newsom fade, the solution is not to
find like-minded replacements with unsullied images. The problem isnt the
brand, its the quality of the political product.
But it doesnt have to be this way. And some trends are encouraging.
Genuine progressive populism insisting that government should strive to
meet widespread social needs rather than serve the special interests of the
wealthy and corporate elites is threatening to disrupt the complacency of
mainline Democratic leaders who have long coasted on merely being better
than Republicans.
More than ever, many entrenched Democrats are worried about primary
challenges from the left. Such fears are all to the good. Progressive
activism and shifts in public opinion have strengthened movements that are
recruiting, supporting and sometimes electing candidates who offer far
better alternatives.