Cuomo Watch: New approach for abortion rights

When Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo made a big splash to draw attention to his controversial proposal to strengthen abortion rights, some saw it as a sign of its doom.

At an overflow news conference, the Democrat released it as part of a 10-point "women's agenda" and demanded a vote by the State Legislature -- counter to the stealth approach he used for a property-tax cap and a gun-control law.

"The first two years, he was able to get remarkable things done through quiet diplomacy," said Robert Bellafiore, a media consultant and former press secretary to Gov. George Pataki. "I think he's releasing [abortion] bill language because he knows it's not going to happen. Sometimes, when you know a bill is not going to happen, you talk about it even more."

-- Yancey Roy