Republican coup

Let me by CRYSTAL CLEAR. (0.00 / 0)

This is the fault of the GOVERNOR and all the others who would not let the gay marriage issue pass for a few more years until it could actually pass.

If we had CONTROL over the Senate, we could redistrict in 2011 and make districts that could elect the majority needed to pass the bill - which, for the record, I support in principal, but not in timing.

Can we all finally agree that political considerations matter?

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:18:14 PM CDT

Sure (0.00 / 0)

but weren't Monserrate and Espada for marriage equality?  

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by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:28:42 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Not Monserrate. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:32:06 PM CDT

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I'd thought so (4.00 / 2)

I'm mostly confused because these two weren't my most likely candidates to switch.  I'd figured Diaz (for whom gay marriage is a central issue) and Kruger (who'd spent more time being friendly with Republicans.)

We'll see, I guess.

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by: simonstl @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:32:27 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

NM (4.00 / 2)

Looks like this was a straight power play by the weakest of weak people.

When we treat the State Senate as a dumping ground for our ineptest people in our party, we're gonna have to live with the consequences, which reverberate from Buffalo to Long Island.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:39:58 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I think it's more about how (4.00 / 2)

Montserrate and Espada felt they were dissed by Smith due to their legal problems -- Montserrate with a felony assault indictment and Espada with campaign finance violations.

They were both part of the Gang of Four that was negotiating with the Republicans for what they could get for a coup in January.

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by: devtob @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:46:07 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

what in the holy fuck... (4.00 / 2)

huh... guess that just means we get to thump Espada and Monserrate in general elections instead of in primaries.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:23:10 PM CDT

Seriously, let's get our candidates lined up NOW (0.00 / 0)

and beat these asshats over the head in the media every chance we get.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:27:41 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I knew this was going to happen (4.00 / 1)

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by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:25:55 PM CDT

I want to say a series of really, really bad words right now. (4.00 / 2)

Seriously, I'm this far from going Deadwood.  

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by: Adama @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:26:31 PM CDT

Oh, I'm fuckin motivated. (0.00 / 0)

I'd drive down there TODAY to start campaigning against them.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:28:35 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Montserrate will be a felon (0.00 / 0)

by September 2010, and Espada is a legacy guy whose family's machine could deliver for him on any line.

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by: devtob @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:49:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

can this Californian get some background (0.00 / 0)

on why these two might have done this?  I know that Monserrate was indicted, and I suppose he figures he's toast with Dem women in an upcoming primary.  But would his chances really be greater on the GOP side?

And why Espada?

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by: David Atkins @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:28:08 PM CDT

I suspect this is all about the marriage issue. (0.00 / 0)

They were two of the Dems against it, and part of the Gang of Three that threatened to vote against Smith as leader if they didn't get a promise that it wouldn't be brought up.  They're both Grade A douchebags to begin with, and there's a good chance they would have both been in for a serious primary challenge.  This way they might not get the primary challenge, plus they still get to be in the majority.  But now we get to clobber them in the general.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:30:55 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

the list I'd seen of marriage positions (0.00 / 0)

was here, and makes me think other things were going on.  Monserrate and Espada (co-sponsor) were listed there as yes votes.

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by: simonstl @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:35:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

huh... (0.00 / 0)

I thought that's what the original Gang of Three/Four argument was about.  Now I'm really confused.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:38:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

ah, sorry... (0.00 / 0)

Monserrate was not in the Gang of Three, but I believe he was in the Gang of Four that preceeded it.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:37:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Power. That's why he's Pres pro tem. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:32:53 PM CDT

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what power does he get as part of the GOP caucus? (0.00 / 0)

that he can't get with the dems?

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by: David Atkins @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:38:34 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Steve Fucking Pigeon. (4.00 / 2)

One person backing the revolt to put Republicans back in charge was Tom Golisano, the Rochester businessman and founder of Responsible New York, a political action committee that gave thousands of dollars to Senate Democrats last year to help them take control of the Senate, but who has become increasingly critical of the party. Mr. Golisano recently announced that he was moving his legal residence to Florida out of anger about the budget deal crafted in April by Democratic leaders in Albany, which included an increase in taxes on high earners.

Tom Golisano = Steve Pigeon.

You wonder why I was so anti-Joe Mesi last year?

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:45:49 PM CDT

That's from the times. (0.00 / 0)

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes....

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:46:16 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If Golisano planned on leaving the state... (4.00 / 2)

...why did he care who controlled the State Senate?

What a guy.

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by: Rufus T. Firefly @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:48:37 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Aubertine (4.00 / 2)

Can now run for Congress.

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by: Lead Dog @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:50:52 PM CDT

And he should. (4.00 / 1)

And he will.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:53:15 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Remove the ? mark (4.00 / 2)

it's done.

There needs to be some serious hell to pay.

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by: Andrew C. White @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:53:32 PM CDT

these coups have happened in other states (4.00 / 2)

and it has to do with personal power, not marriage equality.

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by: Hopeful in NJ @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:53:34 PM CDT

wow (4.00 / 1)

I'm tempted to rank this a close second to Spitzer and the hooker in terms of it being a "WTF moment."

Except, is anyone surprised it's those two?

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by: NYCO @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:02:35 PM CDT

I'm quite surprised that Diaz isn't one of them. (0.00 / 0)

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by: Rufus T. Firefly @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:10:33 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Diaz probably wants to stay a Dem (0.00 / 0)

so he doesn't lose elections.  

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by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:14:24 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

what was the deal... (0.00 / 0)

...with Valesky saying he was maybe about ready to reconsider his stand on gay marriage?

Anything to do with this... since it seems to be all about gay marriage?

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by: NYCO @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:24:51 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Valesky (0.00 / 0)

is believed to be one of the votes Duane had on the verge of flipping, which is why I think gay marriage was part of this.

Foley and Huntley were reconsidering too.  

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by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:33:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

A question... (4.00 / 1)

Is there any way that the Dems can re-gain control in 2010?  Effectively they're now down to 30 votes, and possibly down to 29 if Aubertine gives up his seat.  Are there 2-3 Senate seats out there that could realistically be flipped?  Either we have to oust both Espada and Monserrate, or we have to find 2-3 new seats to flip.

And this increases the pressure for electing a Dem governor, too (to have a tie-breaker).  Hopefully that will increase the pressure for Paterson to step aside.

On a side note, if Philip Anderson is reading this, does this mean you're out of a job???

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by: GallatinDan @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:16:18 PM CDT

I'm still not convinced Aubertine won't stick around (4.00 / 2)

And I think it should be easy to regain control of Espada and Monserrate's seats in 2010, whether they're sitting in jail or they lose to a Dem in the general.

And yes, Paterson needs to announce that he's not going to run for reelection, so we can get on with things, and so he doesn't weigh the whole party down statewide.

And it really would be a shame if Philip and Nybri were out there jobs... they were in the process of doing great things.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

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by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:21:28 PM CDT

[ Parent ]