New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has put the Empire State at financial risk with his controversial remark that there is no room in New York for ultraconservatives, former New York Gov. George Pataki says.
"It does have an impact on those who make the decision where to locate thousands of jobs, particularly in the financial industry, [how they] decide to grow or expand when they make their decisions," Pataki told Newsmax TV's John Bachman.
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In a radio interview last month, Cuomo, a Democrat, said “extreme conservatives," as he called them, "have no place in the state of New York."
He defined “extreme conservatism” as being “anti-gay” -- by opposing same-sex marriage -- opposing abortion rights and favoring legalization of assault weapons.
Pataki said an even bigger issue is an alarming shift in Democratic ideology.
"I really think the Democratic Party has shifted left of where it had traditionally been," Pataki said.
"With [President] Barack Obama, with [New York City Mayor] Bill de Blasio, with [Massachusetts Sen.] Elizabeth Warren, and so many others, the Democratic Party now calls itself progressive, which I would call left. They're no longer liberal."
Democrats are now more about control, said Pataki, a Republican.
"They think they are smarter, better, and know how we should live our lives, and they want to dictate to the American people whether it's how every single American gets healthcare or how much economic success they can have," he said.
"This is the new Democratic Party. It is not something that has been a part of the American political dialogue, I don't think, in history and it's one of the reasons I'm so incredibly motivated to see that there's political change beginning at the local level, but, certainly, in Washington to restore the government to the people."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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