The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Liz Benjamin: ‘Generally Snarky’

Posted on | April 17, 2012 | 9 Comments

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo evidently assigned his communication director Richard Bamberger to compile a 35-page dossier on the work of YNN reporter/blogger Liz Benjamin:

The file, composed of highlighted and annotated blog items by Elizabeth Benjamin, one of Albany’s dominant political reporters, paints a picture of an executive branch that’s particularly averse to hints that Cuomo could be, as is widely assumed, conidering running for president in 2016. The document focuses particularly on seven items it describes as “GENERALLY SNARKY,” including one in which this passage is highlighted:
“The governor has already been speculated to harbor White House aspirations himself — an effort that would enable him to surpass the record of his father, former Gov. Mario Cuomo, who contemplated, but never went for, a presidential run.”
Other sections of the document highlight any language that could possibly be interpreted as critical of Cuomo, much of it innocuous by most standards: The highlighted passages include Benjamin characterizing the Governor’s phrase “celebration on 9/11” as “an interesting choice of words” and her writing that he “declined to put even a ballpark figure on the coast of storm clean-up.”
Seven of the items are labeled “GENERALLY SNARKY”; an eighth, about parking placards, is given as an “Example of poor reporting/Inadequate fact-checking before distribution.”

A politician obsessed with his image? No big deal. What’s weird is that the governor’s communication director — employed at taxpayer expense — should be doing this kind of clearly political work, which would seem more appropriate to a campaign operative or consultant.

By the way, if anyone for the Mitt Romney campaign has been assigned to evaluate his coverage in the blogosphere, my entry should read: “GENERALLY SNARKY. Prone to expressions of hopeless gloom. Has expressed willingness to stop blogging about Mitt in exchange for six-figure ‘consulting fee.'”

Category: New York

Comments

9 Responses to “Liz Benjamin: ‘Generally Snarky’”

  1. TC_LeatherPenguin
    April 17th, 2012 @ 8:56 am

    See, now THAT is the old “Evil Eyes” we’ve known all along….

  2. Zilla of the Resistance
    April 17th, 2012 @ 9:51 am

    I tried to warn people about Andy back in 2010, see here:
    http://voices.yahoo.com/new-york-gubernatorial-election-2010-6791980.html
    And don’t forget to thank him for America’s housing meltdown.
    Andrew Cuomo is dirty, and has been for a very long time.
     

  3. Adobe_Walls
    April 17th, 2012 @ 10:00 am

    So we can expect continuing yo enjoy your ” Prone to expressions of hopeless gloom” and “generally snarky” reporting on Romney.

    I would be but probably shouldn’t be surprised if that clown got any traction running even in the democratic primaries. If Obama serves another term there won’t be an election in 2016.

  4. Finrod Felagund
    April 17th, 2012 @ 11:37 am

    Heh, there’s someone on RedState that posts under the excellent alias ‘snarkandboobs’, or she did until she changed it to her real name.

  5. Adjoran
    April 17th, 2012 @ 2:32 pm

    Lori Ziganto – she used to have a blog by that name. She had plenty of both, too!

  6. Adjoran
    April 17th, 2012 @ 2:35 pm

    I like Cuomo’s chances – the Democrats have a very weak bench.  Maybe Evan Bayh, if anyone remembers him by 2016.  Both would have a problem with someone from the left, if anyone could run.

    I wouldn’t put it past Obama to try again for a second term.  Other than that, who would they run?

  7. Finrod Felagund
    April 17th, 2012 @ 2:40 pm

    That’s her, yep.  I think she still has that blog.
     

  8. Finrod Felagund
    April 17th, 2012 @ 3:27 pm

    I’m guessing it heavily depends on whether Hillary wants to run again or not.

  9. Imagine How Governor Cuomo Would React if He Were Really the Victim of Liz Benjamin’s Snark | The Lonely Conservative
    April 17th, 2012 @ 9:47 pm

    […] the Victim of Liz Benjamin’s SnarkApril 17, 2012 By Lonely Conservative No comments yetVia The Other McCain, BuzzFeed received a “dossier” created by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s […]