Roger Stone and the flying fickle finger award

The flying fickle finger award to political consultant and bon vivant Roger Stone.
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“attack,attack, attack
never defend; admit nothing; deny everything;
launch counter attacks;hit from every angle;
open multiple fronts on your enemy; he must be confused and feel besieged on every side”
The Stone modus operandi, as quoted in Peter Elkind, Rough Justice.
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Elkind’s new book on Elliot Spitzer is a good read, if you relish the slimey,ugly power plays practiced in Albany,our esteemed State Capitol.
Elkind describes the power plays of Spitzer,Joe Bruno, and Stone, where civility disappeared.
Spitzer wanted reform,and wanted to flip the State Senate.
He offered Sen.Michael Balboni a job in his administration,and Joe Bruno also killed Balboni’s career to run for the AG position.
Bruno needed Balboni to stay in the Senate,to keep GOP control.
As the power plays became really ugly, Bruno hired Stone as a $20k monthly consultant.
Stone set out to destroy Spitzer, including feeding the FBI information gleaned from his lady contacts in Florida.
These power plays were not pretty.
Elkin contrasts Bruno and Spitzer. Bruno the poor kid from Glens Falls, who wanted Albany power to gain private riches. Spitzer, the son of a wealthy NYC Jew, who wanted Albany power to reform and transform.
Our fickle finger award goes to Stone. He’s is less than a class act. Power does corrupt, especially when the power plays take place in Albany.
And I still see no compelling rationale to send Joe Bruno to prison.