Cuomo Tries to Avoid 'Doing Nothing' with Legislature

Call it "managing expectations." After rattling off a list of bipartisan achievements in the past seven years, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he's reached the end of what he could accomplish this year. That is, unless the state Senate changes from GOP to Democratic control.

So the governor is launching a Hail Mary in order to try and win back Simcha Felder, the rogue Democratic senator who caucuses with the chamber's Republicans, giving the GOP a one-vote majority. Cuomo said Felder would actually maximize his political leverage by joining the Democrats as soon as possible.

"I believe in November there's going to be more Democrats elected," Cuomo said, "and I think he's actually in a pivotal point now, and...it would be more meaningful for him to go with the Democrats now."

Felder did not respond to requests for comment.

Former Democratic Assemblyman Richard Brodsky says Cuomo – who's running for a third term as governor – is trying to hastily build a Democratic coalition he should have been working on years ago. But Brodsky says even if Cuomo does somehow manage to woo over Felder, no one should expect a flurry of major legislation.

"What happens in the next four-to-five weeks in the session will be very little, because one-vote majorities can't produce big items," Brodsky said.

There could be some political value for Cuomo making the effort, even if it fails, Brodsky said. Still, the former lawmaker doubts it will help Cuomo win over many of his critics on the left wing of the party — or impact his Democratic primary race with Cynthia Nixon.

In Buffalo, Nixon said a few progressive victories in the waning days of the legislative session would be good for New York.

"I am encouraged to see our governor start to inch leftward," Nixon said. "He's still got a long way to go."