Albany watch: Gov. Andrew Cuomo reaches into deep pockets

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's $33 million-plus campaign fund is built on deep-pocketed contributors. In fact, 242 donors have given the Democrat at least $40,000, according to a New York Public Interest Group analysis, accounting for 45 percent of his total.

Cuomo said talk of big donations influencing his policies is "baloney." He said the more important underlying issue is a politician's character. That said, he still favors public financing of elections.

Conspicuously, the character issue is the same argument opponents use against public financing. Senate co-leader Dean Skelos (R-Rockville Centre), for one, said using taxpayers' funds for campaigns would not stop "crooks and idiots" from participating in bribery. -- Yancey Roy