Bochinche & Buzz: A frigid Valentine’s weekend in Albany

Full disclosure: I don't like Albany, and I hate it during February. So as you might imagine, the bone-chilling weather for the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus Weekend was quite literally the winter of my discontent. My ears would have been frostbitten were it not for all the bochinche that kept them warm. Here's a sampling:

• At the City & State reception on Friday – which had “the funk” (is that term still used?) – I appreciated the warm greeting from political consultant and Carl Heastie confidant Patrick Jenkins and genuine inquiry as to how I was doing. I had barely responded when, without missing a beat, Jenkins asked: "You gonna be nice to Carl?" Which made me think: What's Heastie up to? What did he do? Did I miss something? Still checking on your amigo, P.B.J.
• Adam Clayton Powell IV was an outsized presence, chatting up his candidacy in the 13th Congressional District, aka Charlie Rangel's seat. According to the fast-talking bilingual Powell, the path to victory runs through El Barrio. The spin also included a reminder from the wannabe that the last person that East Harlem had in the U.S. House of Representatives was Italian Vito Marcantonio, who was very popular among puertorriqueños, in the 1930s. The reality for A.C.P. is that with Assemblyman Guillermo Linares staying in the race – despite rumors to the contrary – along with two-time congressional loser state Sen. Adriano Espaillat, it all but guarantees a three-way split of the Puerto Rican and Dominican vote. Wipe that smile off your face, Assemblyman Keith Wright.
• Speaking of Charlie Rangel, Gov. Andrew Cuomo held an invite-only reception for the longtime congressman at the governor’s mansion on Sunday – a perfect setting for Cuomo. As many know, Andrew is always on his game. Everybody and anybody the governor deemed important was there. The place was so packed that sources tell me Cuomo quipped that if he had known the turnout for Charlie was going to be so yuuuge, (Trump jargon influence) he would've made it a fundraiser.

Alphonso David, the governor’s chief counsel, introduced state Sen. Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who introduced Carl Heastie. Speaker Heastie then introduced Gov. Cuomo as his "valentine." Various eyewitnesses told me this prompted a hearty laugh from the guv. Somewhere, Bill de Blasio was solemnly plucking rose petals.

Cuomo heaped praise on Rangel, but also acknowledged former Mayor David Dinkins, the lifetime friend of Rangel who was present and had a productive working relationship with Andrew’s father, Mario. The first black mayor of New York City graciously took it all in. Cuomo noted that Rangel, along with Dinkins, Basil Paterson, Percy Sutton and Carl McCall left an indelible legacy for Harlem and black New Yorkers.

Of course, there is always an underlying message with Cuomo, and all of the praise for Rangel and company came with a catch. The governor said that their accomplishments were so significant that no matter what happened in the future, it would never achieve the greatness of what Rangel and his fellow pioneers achieved.

Cuomo was basically saying to Heastie and all of the other Puerto Rican elected officials in the room that there are limits to their list of must-haves – which include a proposed tax hike on the wealthy. Two politicos in the room told me, independent of each other, that was the message. So much for the valentine, Mr. Speaker.