I will be voting for Pirro, we need experience not a political hack like Cuomo.

Pirro holds big edge in experience

Who would you want to serve as the state’s official legal pit bull?

A political offspring hoping to cash in on his father’s good name in yet another search for a public job? Or an experienced prosecutor with a tangible hatred for those who prey on children and senior citizens, who also has a record of going after corporate polluters and Medicaid scammers?

The race for state attorney general to replace the crusading Eliot Spitzer pits former federal housing secretary and the heir to the Mario Cuomo legacy, Democrat Andrew Cuomo, against longtime Westchester County prosecutor Jeanine Pirro, a Republican whose main political shortcoming seems to be her inability to get out of her own way.

The case for Jeanine Pirro

Dennis Vacco was an experienced, hard-driving prosecutor when he rose to state attorney general. Eliot Spitzer was an experienced, hard-driving prosecutor when he got the job. Jeanine Pirro is cut from the same cloth. While she was an effective and aggressive district attorney and judge for 30 years, she didn’t confine her time in office to just throwing murderers in jail. She used her office’s prosecutorial authority to pursue an agenda against Internet predators, child abuse, Medicaid fraud, domestic violence, environmental violations and crimes against senior citizens. Those are just the kinds of issues a state attorney general would find herself involved in. Pirro’s commitment to those issues and her ability to get ahead of the curve on breaking issues such as identity fraud demonstrate the vision necessary for the job.

The case against Jeanine Pirro

A significant part of the attorney general’s job involves civil litigation, which Pirro’s resume is significantly lacking in. Her campaign foibles are well-documented, which makes us wary of her ability to operate in the very politically charged atmosphere of Albany. And she’s had more than her share of public legal and personal troubles, which could detract from her effectiveness and reduce the amount of attention she could devote to the job.

The case for Andrew Cuomo

Having been involved in high-stakes politics since his teens as a political adviser to his famous father, he knows the ropes of politics. As Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Clinton, his office rooted out Medicaid fraud and housing discrimination cases, which would help him in the state attorney general’s position. He’s also been personally involved in fighting domestic violence and homelessness, initiating programs to bring more funding to help solve those problems. In 1986, he found an organization called HELP, which helps transition the homeless back into society and provide them with shelter and services. So, he clearly cares about these problems and knows how to address them.

The case against Andrew Cuomo

He lacks day-to-day experience in many of the key areas we’ve found important to the attorney general’s office. Aside from 14 months in the appeals office of a New York City prosecutor, he has little experience preparing and initiating litigation. And his bumbling and nasty gubernatorial campaign four years ago exposed his political weaknesses and abilities far more than Pirro’s missteps running for Senate and attorney general this year. And being a Democrat in what promises to be an all-Democratic administration will raise questions about whether he’d be as vigilant as Pirro would be in pursuing investigations within his own party.

Recommendation

Andrew Cuomo has been a dedicated public servant. But Jeanine Pirro’s relevant experience, energy and vision make her a stronger candidate. Pirro would be an effective, vigilant attorney general in the tradition of the office. Voters should support her on Nov. 7.