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Loading ...NY governor asks senators to resolve differences
06.10.2009 4:36pm EDT
(Albany, N.Y.) New York Gov. David Paterson called on state senators to resolve the power struggle that has roiled the Capitol since Monday, saying it has “humiliated the process, even by Albany standards.”
“This is getting a little ridiculous,” Paterson said Wednesday as he pledged to work with whoever wins. “They’ve got to act like adults.”Meanwhile, the Senate Democratic conference, which appeared to lose its majority Monday to a coalition of Republicans and dissident Democrats, said it would seek a temporary court order to stop the takeover.
Paterson spoke two days after Republicans and the rogue Democrats secretly engineered a parliamentary power play, apparently ousting the Senate leader and flipping control of the chamber. Sens. Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens joined with the Republican minority to form a bipartisan 32-30 majority.
Shocked, the Senate Democrats responded by leaving the floor, locking the doors to the Senate chamber and refusing to open them. The insurgents reacted by threatening to hold a session in a nearby park if necessary.
“The Senate majority is fully prepared to go back to the people’s work but will not enter the chamber to be governed by unlawful rules,” said Austin Shafran, spokesman for Senate Democratic leader Malcolm Smith.
Paterson added to the pressure on Democratic leaders Wednesday, calling on them to open the chambers and vote on the leadership – even thought it could mean his fellow Democrats would be forced to relinquish power. Shortly after the governor’s press conference, Espada announced that he had the keys to the chamber. He refused to say how he got them.
Espada said Wednesday that Monserrate assured him he is still a part of the coalition, and neither is leaving to rejoin the Democratic conference. He said the leadership issue doesn’t require another vote and will stand up to any challenge.
“The only issue is how the Senate Democrats’ minority will respond today,” he said.
He said other Democratic senators will be joining the coalition, but it’s up to them to say so.
“I am president pro tem of the new coalition government. Period. End of story,” Espada said.
Paterson said he hopes his fellow Democrats prevail in the dispute over leadership. He called for returning attention to the big issues facing the state.
A spokesman for Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos didn’t return calls for comment.
On Monday, the coalition voted to approve hastily introduced measures that changed the leadership structure. Neither Espada nor Monserrate changed party affiliation, but their votes helped the measures pass 32-0 after the rest of the Democratic conference left the chamber or refused to vote.
No one knows for sure whether the power grab will hold. Democrats assumed the majority in January for the first time in decades.
Children children…..That is what they are.Now who SHOULD spank them? Mommy? Daddy? Both? Gorrellia? The angry community? ALL OF THEM!?
@Nikki–it seems that at least one of the Dems who joined the Republicans did so to press for a vote on marriage equality–a vote of conscience, not a party-line vote. Democratic Speaker Smith seemed to be following in a long Republican line of keeping the marriage bill from reaching the floor, and it seemed to have something to do with Sen. Reuben Diaz of the Bronx threatening to sit with the GOP and destroy the Dems’ majority unless he was accomodated. In short, the current story seems to be that the Republicans are going to allow marriage equality to come to a real vote if it means they keep control of the New York Senate. Yes, there’s a reason you feel like your drink was dosed, even if it was a Snapple.
Hey all, at the risk of sounding ignorant, (I know nothing about New York Politics) I’m going to ask anyway:
Can anyone explain to me the effect of this chaotic festival of madness on the issue of New York Gay marriage?
So what have we learned from this?
Haven’t heard any suggestion yet from the State Democratic party that it intends to revoke the membership of Espada or Monserrate. Why or why not?
Haven’t heard any explanation from the Dems why this happened, especially since it did seem to rely on the Speaker keeping the marriage-equality bill off the floor.
If the above is true, then it suggests that the NY Dems were explicitly selling out gays to keep a bare majority. Yes or no?
The state GOP isn’t jumping up and down protesting against allowing a vote on marriage equality, and neither is it blathering on about the end of the world if such a thing were to pass. So is the NY GOP so obsessed with retaining control of the State Senate that it’s willing to sell its soul and allow gays to get married?
The Governor gets an opportunity to look statesmanlike and reasonable. Gays might get better from a GOP-majority Senate than with the Dems in power. And more New Yorkers seem to be taking a hard look at this Albany foolishness and not liking what they see. It could be an interesting summer.
Espada says one of the reasons he did this was to bring the marriage equality bill to a vote, to finally pass or fail, and forcing Senators to take a public position, rather than sit on it like Smith did.
As a life long Democrat, I have to say the NY Senate Democrats are acting like the national GOP (the whiny cry-baby loser party).
I am disgusted with both parties who are fighting in the sandbox instead of protecting my civil rights….they can ALL kiss my dyke booty at fundraising time.
Mmmmm…. didn’t I see this plot on one of the soap operas a year ago or so?
Funny how life imitates art. (Well, if you call soap operas ‘art’.) If nothing else, I’m fascinated with how this one turns out. Perhaps in this case the transgendered identical twin will reveal himself as the sister who was previously cloned and suddenly all the votes will go our way.
Stay tuned. The writers aren’t finished playing with us just yet.
Neil
Note to the NY Assembly, time to grow up, act like adults and meanwhile try to get at least a little, tiny, minuscule bit of the people’s business at least an eighth of the way done?!
The public didn’t send you there to act like petulant, spoiled children.
They should have policy on the book, when the senators want to change the party, they must have to be announced and wait for two weeks before become a new party instead they made themselves full of assholes right on the spot!!! Public need to know that situation. I’m 25 plus years New York resident and I’m just fed up with their attitudes. I would love to disband the entire senate and legistive to get new fresh attitudes. That is my threat to them, clean your attitudes or disband whole of them at once!!!!
I wonder how Espada and Monserrate’s Democra VOTERS feel about their defection? They should enjoy their power while it lasts because their days as Sentors are numbered!
Steve, Albany: The legislature is the people, not the building. Custom and practicality cause them to regularly meet in the same place, but if Smith is going to try to block them from meeting there the could meet elsewhere.
This whole series of events concerns me about what might happen to the Dems in the Senate next election.
Points for Gov. Patterson here, though. Maybe.
LOL @ Pati.
At first glace it seems like a small thing, but when you stop and think about it, locking the doors to a legislative hall to prevent it from meeting is a basic assault on democracy, no matter which party does it.
and here I thought Illinois government was the most corrupt…..nope I guess they’re both a joke run by clowns…yes, here to amuse you clowns