Political corruption at large

The parties vs. the people

Carl Kruger’s political corpse isn’t even cold yet, and already the fix is in as to who’ll get the best shot to replace him.

Kruger, a Brooklyn Democrat, pleaded guilty to corruption charges last week and resigned from the state Senate, leaving his seat up for grabs.

Party bosses swooped in like vultures.

Democrats seem poised to name City Councilman Lewis Fidler as their nominee; Republican brass are eyeing David Storobin, a lawyer and party official.

Voter input?Fuhgeddaboutit.

Other candidates? Don’t stand a chance.

An actual primary?

Nowthat’sa real knee-slapper.

Fact is, New York has some of the nation’s most restrictive ballot-access laws, which enable party pooh-bahs to run a Friends & Family appointment system — while blocking challengers from ever getting their names before voters’ eyes.

Gov. Cuomo hasn’t decided officially if there will be a special election to replace the disgraced Kruger, or when it would be — though some observers think March is likely. But if past is prologue, expect the timing to please no one . . . but insiders.

That’s what happened after Rep. Anthony Weiner’s resignation.

Cuomo waited until the last possible moment to announce a schedule for an election to fill Weiner’s House seat, along with six vacant Assembly seats — guaranteeing that there would be no open primaries.

Queens County Democratic boss Joseph Crowley quickly named Assemblyman David Weprin, and the GOP settled on Bob Turner. Average New Yorkers were shut out entirely. So much for democracy.

Let’s face it: Letting party bigwigs wield supreme nominating power serves no one but them. This time, notably, instead of Crowley, it’ll be Assemblyman Vito Lopez and the Brooklyn machine he runs that bless Fidler for the Dems.

(Lopez, recall, lords over a social-service empire, the Ridgewood Bushwick Senior Citizens Council, that’s been the focus of recent city, state and federal investigations.)

Outsiders need not apply.

Why should they? They’d have to overcome insurmountable petition-signature requirements and arcane legalistic rules meant precisely to keep them off the ballot.

No wonder Kruger-style corruption pervades New York politics: “Elected” officials owe their jobs more to the power brokers who install them than to actual voters.

Alas, that seems to be the case for whoever gets Kruger’s seat.

And the beat goes on.