Monday, December 08, 2008

Andrew Cuomo And Sandra Lee: New York Power Couple



(image via nysocialdiary)

New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is being mentioned as a possible successor to Senator Hillary Clinton, has finally come clean about his relationship with Food Network celebrity chef Sandra Lee. While we wish the couple luck in love, we will not entertain the possibility that being in a steady relationship might be better for his political fortunes at this present moment as pols lobby Governor Patterson on why they should be picked to replace the Junior Senator as she leaves for her post as Secretary of State. This blog has been on top of the news -- originally reported by our favorite social chronicler David Patrick Columbia in NYSocialDiary -- as the two have been dating on the DL on the New York social circuit for some time. From Page Six:

"IT'S official - Food Network star Sandra Lee and divorced New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are an item. At Cuomo's 51st-birthday party the other day at Bridgewaters at the South Street Seaport, Lee joined Matt Dillon, Mayor Bloomberg, Tony Bennett and 400 other guests in toasting Cuomo. Lee's rep confirmed, "Yes, Sandra did attend with her sweetie."


We wish them luck. We have had problems with Andrew Cuomo's infamous temper. Cuomo's brusque manner that may or may not have cost H. Carl McCall the governorship and the chance at being the first African-American governor (Harlem State Senator David Patterson ultimately broke the ebony ceiling with Spitzer's resignation). The Clintons were said to have intervened at the end of their freakishly bruising primary, hinting, if not out loud, that Cuomo should give up his then-quixotic campaign. Said CBSNews at the time:

"While officially neutral, there have been signs in recent weeks that Mr. Clinton and his wife, New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, have been leaning toward the comptroller.

"(In early September 2002), the Clintons were at the State Fair in Syracuse at the same time as Cuomo. The trio didn't even manage a photograph together. On Monday, Sen. Clinton had McCall marching by her side in the West Indian American Day parade in New York City."


Cuomo's exit may have been too late. The aggressive snugness to which Cuomo clunt to McCall a badly damaged state comptroller to lose to then-Governor Pataki. African-American politicos blamed Cuomo at the time of remaining in the primary far beyond his political expiration date, wounding McCall with his negative campaigning. Then again, McCall, a patrician, was also widely regarded as never having the fire-in-the-belly needed to unseat Pataki.

The jury is still out on whether or not Cuomo will accept the nomination to the United States Senate, as he has thus far been focused like a laser on the Governorship of the Empire State, a position held by his father, the legendary Mario Cuomo. Rumor has it that Cuomo, a la Bush the Younger, has his fancy on regaining the governorship of New York to restore his family honor.

That having been said, Cuomo has been a magnificent Attorney General of the State of New York and would probably make a magnificent United States Senator should he wish to break that goddam Oedipal loop -- for further reference: see Bush, 43 -- and give up his ambitions at being Governor.



(Sandra Lee via fortunista)

No comments: