Cuomo watch: Acap on dissent

Dissenters need not apply, even if they're Democrats.

That seemed to be the message delivered this week by Larry Schwartz, secretary to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. He blasted Mark Amodeo, a Democratic State Senate candidate in Erie County, for raising doubts about Cuomo's property-tax cap, one of the governor's signature policy victories.

If Amodeo wants to raise taxes above the 2 percent cap, Schwartz said, "that's just the wrong message, and we don't want people coming to Albany if that's the way they think."

Left unsaid: A shot at Amodeo could help Sen. Mark Grisanti (R-Buffalo), a key Cuomo ally on same-sex marriage, without the governor having to come right out and endorse a Republican.

-- Yancey Roy