Without a clear mayoral upgrade, nobody has been able to deliver the KO to Eric Adams yet
The reports are full of drama, with tales of resignations, indictments and chatter about the next head to roll. Or as New Yorkers say, it’s another day in the tenure of Mayor Adams. Gothamites attuned to the messy history of local government realize we are living in a unique moment, the legendary crooks of Tammany Hall not withstanding. Although a long line of Tammany bosses set the standard for carrying out graft on an industrial scale over decades, the federal charges against Adams and the ongoing probes into top players in his administration appear to be relatively modest by comparison. Despite headline-grabbing words like wire fraud and bribery, neither quid nor quo is earth-shattering.That Adams allegedly got airline upgrades and free or reduced rate hotel stays isn’t exactly the stuff of Public Enemy No.
1. Still, the Adams gang is making a distinct contribution to city lore. Because the scandals come at time when most New Yorkers believe the city is in decline and that the Democratic Party has exhausted itself and lacks credible successors, and because the Republican Party is on life support, there is no great public movement clamoring for the mayor to resign. Aside from a relative handful of Dems calling for his head, including some who want his job, the lack of anything close to a consensus is remarkable.After all, Adams is the first mayor ever to be indicted in office and wasn’t especially popular before this. He narrowly won the primary in 2021 on the strength of his anti-crime experience and platform and predictably coasted to victory in the general election. He’s made progress in the fight against crime, but has largely been an erratic manager.
His migrant policies served as invitations, and the city is worse off as a result. He also surrounded himself with cronies, some of whom are now in the sights of prosecutors. The multiple probes create the impression that the administration is a “criminal enterprise,” one plugged-in Dem t...