You’ve got to give William Wright credit:
He’s no liar; and he sure knows one when he sees one.
In what may have been a first in American government, Mr. Wright – an advocate for African-American contractors — compelled Albany ’s mayor this week to concede that he’s a scoundrel.
Mayor Willie Adams had assured Mr. Wright that 20 minutes of Tuesday’s City Commission agenda would be devoted to enabling Mr. Wright to elaborate on his position that Dr. Adams and his colleagues routinely violate city procurement procedures.
Mr. Wright reminded Dr. Adams of his 20-minute allocation when the mayor told Mr. Wright on Tuesday to limit his remarks to five minutes. Instead of claiming ignorance, as is sometimes his defense, or otherwise relenting to Mr. Wright, Dr. Adams declared, “I’m a liar,” and stood his ground.
“You’re wasting your time,” Dr. Adams added, chiding Mr. Wright for repeating information that he previously presented to the commission.
About six minutes into Mr. Wright’s presentation, Dr. Adams cut off Mr. Wright, who then offered this zinger:
“I may be wasting my time, but I’m not a liar,” Mr. Wright said.
“I appreciate from time to time you all pretending like you are concerned about black businesses,” the political gadfly sarcastically added in his final remark to Dr. Adams and his colleagues.
Dr. Adams’ tendency to fib, of course, is well-documented. Still, as pitiful as the mayor behaved Tuesday, the physician still managed to again outsmart political foe Bo Dorough, the Ward 4 commissioner who has announced his candidacy for mayor. Dr. Adams outdueled Mr. Dorough, an attorney, during two brief debates on separate issues.
Dr. Adams has both said he is and isn’t running for a second term; qualifying for the Nov. 6 election is Aug. 27-31.
