I'm sure Harry Wilson is a great guy.
And I'm certain he would have been a great elected official.
But his announcement that, at the dawn of a gubernatorial election year, he's going to withdraw from consideration for the Republican nomination to be governor, is pure chicken crap.
And to hide behind his daughters to do it is particularly offensive.
After all was said and done, he droned on Facebook, he couldn't take the time away from his wife and four little girls.
Nineteen million New Yorkers can fend for themselves, Harry Wilson needs some daddy time.
I consider that cowardly.
I value family -- and pray each day that I am a good enough father for my own children -- but to lay aside a duty and a calling in the name of spending time with the kids is unconvincing at best and pure bull crap at worst.
I think of the countless New Yorkers who must be away from their children because of the duty to make a living in a state at war with business. I think of the grandparents who will not know their grandchildren because the rapacious taxes of the state have pushed adult children and their families to states governed by Republicans.
I think of the nearly 5,000 members of the New York State Police -- and all their law-enforcement colleagues across the state -- who put their families' peace and unity at risk to do a daily and dangerous duty. I think of members of the New York National Guard mobilized and deployed, and the impact of their duty upon their families.
And I think of any number of town supervisors, mayors, county executives, congresspeople, senators and governors all across the nation who love and care for their families and yet also have time and talent to serve our Republic and its citizens.
So the "family time" line is bull crap.
And cowardly.
And I said so on Twitter.
Yesterday, Harry Wilson tweeted: "After a great deal of soul-searching (sic) and discussion with my family, I have decided not to run for NYS governor in 2018. Since this was a difficult and complicated decision, I have posted a lengthy explanation on my public Facebook page."
I reposted his comment with the superscription: "Explanations of cowardice should never be lengthy."
That apparently ticked Harry Wilson off.
He e-mailed me the following very early this morning:
"Bob -- did you seriously call me a coward on Twitter for deciding to not run for Governor? Did I somehow miss you taking a year, and potentially several years, away from your family and spending a huge amount of yourown hard-earned money in a statewide campaign? Because I'm pretty sure you never have done that -- does that make you a coward?
"I have no problem with people being critical of my decision (I march to my own drummer, not yours or anyone else's), but calling me a coward is outrageous, baseless and wrong. My rationale for my decision to not run is clear, unambiguous and sincere -- facts that no one who knows me and read my statement would ever doubt. More importantly, where I come from, people don't make baseless attacks on other people's character (especially when they are generally kindred spirits).
"I'm not sure what motivated your tweet, but I have always expected, and generally seen, much better from you. I think, if you put yourself in my position and thought about it for a minute, you'd have the same reaction I did to your tweet."
I wrote back to him:
"sir, the doing of hard duty requires courage, and the dismissing of personal interest.
"your refusal to run leaves some 19 million people in a disadvantaged and oppressed circumstance.
"you were uniquely situated not to advance your political interests, but to further the cause of freedom. this man cuomo is not merely a person with a different view, he is a genuine malevolent force doing incredible harm to god-given freedoms you and i and the founders believe in.
"your unique position, i suspect, arose as a matter of fate or providence. you were the person for the job.
"and you decided to sit it out.
"the shirking of duty is cowardice, no matter how it's packaged. seldom does history speak favorably of leaders who failed to act.
"we're getting our ass kicked, and you're the cavalry, and you've decided to surrender the field instead of come over the hill.
"I'm sorry you have taken this course, and i urge you to reconsider.
"with belief that right makes might and that god equips those who he calls,
"bob lonsberry"
Like I said, I'm sure Harry Wilson is a great guy.
But the time to weigh family considerations and find out whether or not you have the steel for the fight is before you spend months travelling the state ginning up support and convincing the leaders of the Republican and Conservative parties that you want the job. You don't decide at the last moment -- after you've frozen other viable candidates out of the race -- that you can't cut the apron strings.
Andrew Cuomo is a bastard, and he would have tried to destroy you. But you were the only thing standing between him and us, and you are walking away. You looked duty in the face, and you blinked. You had a state and its future depending on you, and you surrendered.
That is cowardice, sir.
And like I said, I'm sorry you have taken this course, and I urge you to reconsider.