What A Difference An Election Makes

How quickly the script flips when you hand out a massive electoral ass-kicking, eh?

Two weeks ago, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown was at a press conference on the waterfront and this is how it played out:

From the Buffalo News:

Yeah, not so good.

This week, the press (aside from Jim Heaney at The Buffalo News) has moved on from the Leonard Stokes/One Sunset story and is now being reeled in by the Pigeon-bait of whether or not Mayor Brown is going to join the anticipated Andrew Cuomo for NY Governor ticket as the candidate for Lt. Governor.

It’s always amusing to watch the broadcast media so blatantly drop the “zOMG SCANDAL STORY OF THE CENTURY!!@!” and simply move on to business as usual.

It’s the worst kept secret in the state that Andrew Cuomo will be the Democratic nominee for New York Governor.  Is it possible that he might choose Byron Brown as a running mate?  Sure.  Is it plausible?  Maybe.  Is it probable?  Not really.  If no charges are ultimately brought in the Stokes investigation, he might have a shot.  Even then, Cuomo has to weigh whether or not adding an allegedly crooked Mayor to his “law and order” ticket is going to play well in the NYC tabloids and with the State Senate asses he’ll need to kiss in order to win and accomplish fuck all anything.

I’ve heard from numerous sources that Pigeon was the originator of the rumor and it’s always amusing to see the media bite on this kind of cheap bait like carp.  The rumored possibility of a Brown “promotion” allowed Byron to use it as leverage to get certain common councilmen to essentially sit out the Mayoral primary.  After all, if Brown is moving up, that shakes up the whole game and opens up possibilities and patronage for several councilmen whose path to promotion is otherwise blocked.

I think the smug little look on Pete Cutler’s face as the Mayor answered questions about whether or not he would serve his full term tells the story.