'Chosen in secret': New Yorkers slam Gov. Cuomo for latest COVID-related mess



It seems that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) knows only how to rankle — or kill — people when it comes to dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.

His policies led to the deaths of thousands of people in long-term care facilities in New York.

His attempt to cover up the scandal led to investigation and open ridicule and disdain from state officials — including members of his own party.

His effort to capitalize on the pandemic by writing a book touting his leadership during the crisis earned him mockery from coast to coast.

Now, as he tries to honor the efforts of essential workers over the last year and a half, New Yorkers are ripping him for snatching up rare and valuable green space in lower Manhattan, the New York Post reported Tuesday.

The "Circle of Heroes" monument in NYC will open this Labor Day, honoring the essential workers who carried us thro… https://t.co/b92vMvOxpl

— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) 1624471696.0

What's happening?

Cuomo announced a plan recently to grab green space from the local Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City to create a concrete "Circle of Heroes" monument to honor essential workers — but he announced the plan without input from the local community, the Post said.

And now community members are fighting back.

One resident, Adrian Mak, told the Post that the memorial will require bulldozing a local park's grass and trees, which will be replaced with concrete and some sort of "eternal flame."

"The memorial site was chosen in secret without any public hearings, public meetings, or community input," Mak said.

Critics of Cuomo's memorial plan claim the governor "appointed a task force consisting exclusively of union leaders to recommend a site and excluded any members of the Battery Park City community," according to the Post.

Opponents of the land grab started a Change.org petition calling for the monument to be moved, which currently has more than 5,200 signatures.

And now they've got elected officials on their side.

City Councilwoman Margaret Chin, who represents Battery Park City, was not pleased and sent a terse letter to Cuomo about his plan, pointing out that this is the third time Cuomo has done this to her community.

"I am writing to urge you to halt current plans to erect a memorial in Battery Park City's Rockefeller Park," Chin wrote, the Post reported. "The announcement on June 23rd about the monument's siting and expedited construction timeline came as a shock to my office and the local Battery Park City community."

"The project is on course to create serious quality of life issues for local residents, who have relied on this open green space throughout the pandemic," she added. "I strongly encourage you to order construction to stop until there has been a proper process of community engagement with local residents and elected officials."

U.S. Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) asked the governor to "pause the saws."

"New York's essential workers deserve our honor and respect—and we can commemorate them with a memorial," he tweeted. "But bulldozing vital open space in lower Manhattan isn't the way to do it. @NYGovCuomo needs to #PauseTheSaws and consult with the community on location and design."

New York’s essential workers deserve our honor and respect—and we can commemorate them with a memorial. But bulldoz… https://t.co/Mnd5ja4y6N

— Rep. Nadler (@RepJerryNadler) 1624907600.0

State Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou — who famously went after the governor's lies when he attempted to cover up the COVID-19 nursing home deaths – criticized Cuomo for not seeking community input.

Governor, everyone wants to honor our essential workers that kept us safe during this pandemic. This could be in ha… https://t.co/KbWPByZy8C

— Yuh-Line Niou (@yuhline) 1624893763.0

The Manhattan Community Board accused the governor of refusing to work with his nemesis, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and ripped him for not consulting locals.

"Governor Cuomo announced he was taking away park space last week and the earth moving equipment showed up before the weekend was up," the group said. "All this because he refuses to work with the Mayor to jointly honor Essential Workers. This is where the children play. #politicsoverparks."

"What is the rush? Which of our representatives will speak truth to power?" they continued. "Is this the best way to honor the Essential Workers? Who knows!? We have no idea who was consulted or contributed to the design!"

@NY4P What is the rush? Which of our representatives will speak truth to power? Is this the best way to honor the… https://t.co/pWM9xk4MlI

— Manhattan Community Board 1 (@CommunityBoard1) 1624890314.0

Following the blowback, the Post said, Cuomo's office announced that the monument, which will take up 2% of the park's acreage, would be moved from the center of the park to a corner area.

'Open brawl': House Dems rip Rep. Omar for equating US, Israel, and Hamas — with some reportedly calling her an 'anti-Semite.' Omar claps back.



Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) upset a lot of people this week when she equated the U.S. and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban. It turns out it wasn't just Republicans who are calling her out for her remarks.

A dozen of her fellow U.S. House Democrats issued a statement Wednesday night criticizing her statements. And now a report has surfaced that the split between Omar and Democratic caucus is more significant than previously reported, with some Democratic lawmakers reportedly calling her an "anti-Semite" privately.

What did Omar say?

In a Monday tweet, Omar claimed the U.S., Israel, Hamas, and the Taliban have all committed "unthinkable atrocities" and human rights abuses.

"We must have the same level of accountability and justice for all victims of crimes against humanity," she said.

The tweet included a clip of Omar questioning Secretary of State Antony Blinken how those who perpetrate human rights abuses — including, she said, Hamas, the Taliban, and Israeli security forces — will be held accountable.

Omar's tweets and questions for Blinken came in the wake of thousands of Hamas rocket attacks against Israel in May, to which Israel responded with targeted air strikes. During the conflict, Omar accused Israel of committing war crimes.

How did her Democratic critics respond?

On Wednesday, 12 Democratic representatives, led by Illinois Rep. Brad Schneider, issued a statement condemning Omar's accusations.

"Equating the United States and Israel to Hamas and the Taliban is as offensive as it is misguided," the statement began. "Ignoring the differences between democracies governed by the rule of law and contemptible organizations that engage in terrorism at best discredits one's intended argument and at worst reflects deep-seated prejudice."

"The United States and Israel are imperfect and, like all democracies, at times deserving of critique, but false equivalencies give cover to terrorist groups," the dozen Democrats concluded. "We urge Congresswoman Omar to clarify her words placing the US and Israel in the same category as Hamas and the Taliban."

Schneider was joined by Democratic Reps. Jake Auchincloss (Mass.), Ted Deutch (Fla.), Lois Frankel (Fla.), Josh Gottheimer (N.J.), Elaine Luria (Va.), Kathy Manning (N.C.), Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Dean Phillips (Minn.), Kim Schrier (Wa.), Brad Sherman (Calif.), and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.).

@RepAuchincloss, @RepTedDeutch, @RepLoisFrankel, @RepJoshG, @RepElaineLuria, @RepKManning, @RepJerryNadler,… https://t.co/07cQ7UpmTm

— Rep. Brad Schneider (@RepSchneider) 1623294169.0

Things, however, are reportedly worse than even that statement let on.

According to Punchbowl News, the fallout from Omar's actions "has erupted into an open brawl" and the "fight threatens to leave a deep divide among Democrats." It could even cost Omar her seat on the Foreign Affairs Committee.

Punchbowl reported that a group of Jewish Democratic lawmakers met on a call Wednesday and were listening to a speaker address concerns about the right's anti-Semitism. The discussion, however, "quickly turned to Omar's recent remarks and what they should do in response."

This is not the first time Democrats have had to contend with Omar's anti-Semitic rhetoric, the outlet noted, citing the March 2019 anti-bigotry resolution the House was forced to pass in response to her multiple contentious statements.

Apparently, Omar's schtick is wearing on some of her liberal colleagues, as a "number of Omar's fellow Democrats believe Omar is an anti-Semite," Punchbowl reported, "even if they don't say so publicly."

Omar claps back

The left-wing Minnesota lawmaker did not take kindly to the Democrats' Wednesday statement about her latest remarks.

She went on Twitter to rip her fellow lawmakers for their "islamophobic tropes" and their "constant harassment & silencing."

"It's shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for 'clarification' and not just call," she said. "The islamophobic tropes in this statement are offensive. The constant harassment & silencing from the signers of this letter is unbearable."

It’s shameful for colleagues who call me when they need my support to now put out a statement asking for “clarifica… https://t.co/0yzw8jNaQ0

— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) 1623300196.0

Democrats to unveil legislation to pack the Supreme Court with 4 more justices



Democrats in the House and Senate are planning to introduce legislation to expand the Supreme Court from the current 9 members to 13.

The plan to pack the court was first reported by Ryan Grim of The Intercept on Wednesday. It is sponsored in the Senate Sen. Ed Markey (D) of Massachusetts and in the House by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D) of New York.

Far-left partisans have pressed for Democrats to push the controversial plan since former President Donald Trump was able to fill the seat held by liberal justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg with Justice Amy Coney Barrett, a conservative.

While President Joe Biden had refused to say before the election if he would support the plan, Democrats appear to be eager to rush headlong into the plot.

The report was later confirmed by NBC News and inspired a contentious interaction during a House committee hearing when Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) demanded to know from Nadler if the report was true.

https://t.co/4QcxdgE6me
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Rep. Jim Jordan)1618446285.0

Nadler refused to answer the question and said that Jordan was acting inappropriately.

Democratic Rep. Mondaire Jones of New York, was less shy to admit to the court-packing plan.

"Our democracy is under assault, and the Supreme Court has dealt the sharpest blows. To restore power to the people, we must #ExpandTheCourt. That's why I'm introducing the Judiciary Act of 2021 with @RepJerryNadler, @RepHankJohnson, and @SenMarkey to add four seats to SCOTUS," he tweeted.

The Supreme Court has been composed of nine members since 1869, for 152 years. The Constitution does not set out how many members must be on the Supreme Court.

That convention was almost broken when Democrat Franklin D. Roosevelt suggested in 1937 that he might expand the court with jurists who would be sympathetic to his unconstitutional plans to combat the Great Depression. Members of his own party balked at the plan and he was forced to abandon his "court-packing" scheme.

Despite the long history of Democrats trying to pack the highest court of the land, it is unlikely to be successful given the 50-50 split in the Senate and the presence of some moderate Democrats who are reticent to support far left legislation.

Here's more about the Democrats' newest plot to pack the court:

House, Senate Democrats plan to add 4 Supreme Court justices: Reportwww.youtube.com