"No comment... now stop refusing to tell my side!"

Glens Falls' Post-Star managing editor Ken Tingley had a good column blasting NY Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno.

A few days ago, the Albany Times-Union ran a piece detailing how Bruno allegedly used taxpayer-funded aircraft to attend political fundraisers. Additionally, the Albany paper obtained documents where Bruno had asserted the aircraft were used for official state business.

Essentially, Bruno was committing the same offense that forced the resignation of then-state comptroller Alan Hevesi. Bruno had demanded Hevesi quit.

Bruno refused to comment for the Times-Union article but later held a press conference to answer the allegations.

"Since I have been leader I was told by the State Police that there were so many threats on my life that they could not cover them," said Bruno.

I know Albany's a morass but to listen to his rant, you'd think the politico was in more danger than a GI in Baghdad.

Anyway, Tingley rightly lambastes Bruno. During his temper tantrum, the crybaby senator insisted he was going to cancel his subscription to the T-U and encouraged everyone else to do the same.

I'm sure Hearst Newspapers is quaking in its boots!

Tingley also called Bruno on what is a huge pet peeve of mine. Bruno consciously refused to provide a comment for the T-U article only later to snivel that... the paper only provided one side of the story.

I think anyone who does this should be publicly tarred and feathered. How is a media outlet supposed to provide your side of the story if you refuse to give it to them?


[Full disclosure: apparently Bruno is distantly related to me, though I've never received a ride in state aircraft nor have I received any of the other perks that have gotten him into trouble.]