Editorial: David Yassky is Dunzo (Thank Christ)

David Yassky should have studied Robert Moses a bit more carefully. Had he done so, the Brooklyn Councilman’s political career wouldn’t be in its final death throes. While it’s clear he’s borrowed freely from the Book of Moses over the last few years, Yassky just can’t seem to get the equation to amassing power right.

Lord knows he’s tried. And failed. Neither his controversial bid for Congress in 2006 nor his shot at city comptroller this year were successful, though he was willing to do just about anything to win both.

Part of the problem has been Yassky’s puzzling political identity. Tom Robbins of the Village Voice has outlined the history of zigzags, flip-flops and U-turns that have to come to define Yassky’s time in elected office.

While Robbins sticks to the reporting and rarely editorializes he manages to suggest a fairly obvious conclusion. It’s difficult for Yassky to successfully run for higher office as a good government type and a champion of reform when he’s: carpetbagged a predominately black congressional district and ran as the only white candidate in an open house seat; been accused of diverting discretionary funds from the city budget to a phony non-profit in exchange for political favors; cozied up to party bosses whose influence he’s formerly opposed, and; sold out his constituents to big developers time and time again.

Of course, Yassky’s greatest gaffe came when he voted to extend term limits last year. The ensuing shit-storm would deal a mortal blow to two of Yassky’s perceived strengths, his integrity and his idealism, and effectively sink his chances at citywide office.

In all of these instances Yassky’s brazen political calculations proved to be gross miscalculations. Looking back it’s apparent that Yassky was not as conniving and not as smart as Robert Moses, nor does Yassky possess the raw political instinct that is fundamental to climbing the ladder of power.

As a result, come January, Yassky will most likely be scratching at the door of some of the bigger corporate law firms in Lower Manhattan and Midtown. Hopefully by then a few of those firms will have lifted their hiring freezes.