Podcast: Political potpourri from Havana to Albany

In light of President Barack Obama’s trip to Cuba this week, should Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s junket to the island nation last spring be viewed differently? What, if anything, is there to be gained from these glorified photo ops in a country that the U.S. technically can’t trade with?

These are just a few of the questions that my City & State colleagues Michael Johnson, Gerson Borrero and I try to answer in this week’s episode of the Slant Podcast. Cuomo, of course, was the first U.S. governor to visit Cuba after Obama announced his intentions to re-establish diplomatic relations with the country.

I also quizzed Michael and Gerson about their weekend in Albany covering the Somos El Futuro conference, where New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was greeted with a significantly more favorable reception than his previous visit to the state Capitol. We discuss whether the drumbeat for a serious Democratic challenger to de Blasio has quieted down in the wake of the mayor’s rising poll numbers.

Finally, Gerson shares his latest bochinche, shedding some light on the maneuverings in the behind-the-scenes race to succeed Melissa Mark-Viverito as New York City Council speaker.

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