Time Warner Cable News - Cuomo Hits the Campaign Trail, Hopes to Build More Support Among Women Voters

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By Bill Carey

The governor and his lieutenant governor candidate took to a bus, cruising the Thruway from Albany, to Syracuse, to Rochester. But they were urging potential voters to refrain from voting for them as Democrats. Instead they came to urge support for the new ballot line -- the Women's Equality Party.

"And we've got a ballot line that's not a party. It's just branding. It's advertising," said Howie Hawkins, the Green Party candidate for governor.

The Green Party candidate for governor showed up outside the Cuomo event and was prevented from going inside. The primary goal of the new party is supposedly the passage of Cuomo's 10-point women's equality platform. Hawkins argues that could already have happened.

"We could have had 9 of the 10 items on the women's equality agenda, because the Senate was willing to pass it. But they held those items hostage to the 10th item, which is about abortion rights," said Hawkins.

"We are going to pass the full, 10 point women's equality agenda, because no woman should live in a state that does not treat them equal. It's not happening here," said Kathy Hochul, said the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor.

Running mate Hochul and incumbent Cuomo continue to argue that that 10th point, making the provisions of the Roe Versus Wade decision part of state law is a vital step.

"If theres' a different President and there's a different nominee on the Supreme Court, if the Supreme Court changes and if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, we want to make sure that in the state of New York we have a law that protects a woman's right to choose," said Cuomo.

Cuomo lost the vote on the package this year when some in the state senate blocked if from a vote.

"And when they said they wouldn't vote that's wrong. I'd rather we have an honest disagreement and they say 'no,' and it goes down, But, not to vote, means they don't want the people of this state to know how they would have voted," said Cuomo.

So Cuomo promises a new showdown in the next legislative session and the potential for friction for years to come.

"I am not going to leave this Earth until this state makes the statement that my three daughters are equal to any three boys, anywhere," said Cuomo.

Cuomo says he's confident the battle will eventually be won.

Republicans hired a small truck to pull a sign for posting outside Cuomo events Upstate on Saturday. The sign pointed to the Democratic movement for women's equality, while raising questions about what the GOP claims was inaction by top Democrats on sexual harassment cases in the state legislature.

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