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Original Message
"New York State turns red."
Posted by Estee on 06-09-09 at 11:54 AM
I think the term we're looking for here is 'coup'. Or possibly 'bloodbath'. But hey, GOPers -- it doesn't matter how you get it done as long as you give the people what's best for them, right? Even if it's not what they want. Especially if it's not what they want.

http://tinyurl.com/m2mb8y

You might want to do some research on the flippers and get a good look at what you just took in. (Then again, those steeped in scandal and others who occasionally like to cut up their spouses as a recreational hobby might fit right in.) But don't worry -- it doesn't matter who you have with you as long as it's majority. Nothing matters in the world except getting what you want. Everyone else will fall in line later.

The state was going to vote on a few interesting issues over the next couple of weeks. The timing is not coincidence.

Take notes. Maybe the same trick will work on the White House, too.

I sent you to the neutral CNN article. You probably don't want to go seeking out the biased ones yet.

Table of contents
Messages in this discussion
"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by cahaya on 06-09-09 at 02:35 PM
Geez, nice guys, two of a kind, even if one is from the Bronx and the other from Queens.

Pedro:

Legal trouble has plagued Mr. Espada throughout his political career. He has been fined tens of thousands of dollars over several years for flouting state law by not disclosing political contributions. In 2005, three employees of a Bronx nonprofit health care company run by Mr. Espada, the Soundview HealthCare Network, pleaded guilty to diverting $30,000 from programs for family care and AIDS treatment to one of his campaigns. Mr. Espada was never charged.

Mr. Espada, the first Latino Senate president, would become governor if Gov. David Paterson were incapacitated. (watch your back, Gov!)

... and Hiram:

Like Mr. Espada, Mr. Monserrate is facing legal troubles. On March 23, 2009, a grand jury in Queens handed up a felony assault indictment against him, charging that he stabbed his companion, Karla Giraldo, in December 2008 with a drinking glass, leaving a gash that required 20 stitches to close, prosecutors said. He faces felony charges of second-degree assault that could lead to a seven-year prison sentence.

"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by Estee on 06-09-09 at 03:33 PM
Thus my anger on the issue. It's one thing if your personal viewpoint has been slowly changing to the point where you realize you're a DINO and it's time to make the switch. But given the trouble these two are in, I feel they swung alliances for one reason: protection. This was done in return for favors: we vote with you and you get us out of this. Our own gang's about to toss us, so we're going to change colors... The similes go on for a while.

I wasn't exactly happy to have them as Democrats and (numbers aside) no one across the aisle should be all that thrilled to be getting them as Republicans. They shouldn't be holding office. Period.

"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by AyaK on 06-09-09 at 05:52 PM
From your reaction, you seem to think that this has never happened before. Actually, it happens about every 10-15 years in some state.
"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by Estee on 06-09-09 at 06:06 PM
It's the first one where I'm going to personally feel a lot of the effects and have friends kicked in the teeth by most of the rest. Have you seen the upcoming bills? Count the bans that are about to go into effect, but try to stop before three in the morning: you presumably need some sleep.
"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by AyaK on 06-09-09 at 06:19 PM
I don't know anything about that. All I saw, in the article that you linked to, were a bunch of self-obsessed Speidi-wannabes whining about how this was illegal because it went against their wishes.

What are the consequences of the party changeover?

"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by Estee on 06-09-09 at 06:24 PM
The two immediate major ones are potentially having the votes for a gay marriage ban and (if I'm reading this right in a scrambled article) removal of all local governmental controls over schools, taking everything to the state level.

As said, the timing on this one isn't exactly coincidental.

"RE: New York State turns red."
Posted by AyaK on 06-10-09 at 02:06 AM
LAST EDITED ON 06-10-09 AT 02:06 AM (EST)

having the votes for a gay marriage ban

I'll admit that I haven't paid all that much attention to this issue now that we in Massachusetts are no longer the only state in the union where same-sex marriage is legal (and it's worked fine here, FWIW). I didn't know New York had legalized same-sex marriage. Now the new majority wants to ban it again?

removal of all local governmental controls over schools

If that's right, then there shouldn't be any local-level taxes for schools either. After all, taxation without representation is tyranny.

"Clearing the marriage issue."
Posted by Estee on 06-10-09 at 04:25 AM
*sigh* Sorry, my bad on phrasing. (I plead 'one of those days.') What I meant was that the governor had put a bill on the agenda to get it passed in New York, and the swing means there are now enough votes to block it. The governor would have to sign off on any total ban, which he's not likely to do -- but this not only postpones things, but could potentially hold them off long enough to get someone in office who will happily institute a total block. As Cahaya spotted, that could be about a week.

"RE: Clearing the marriage issue."
Posted by samboohoo on 06-10-09 at 08:56 AM
At the risk of asking a stupid question, would this not be an issue that is voted on by the people of NY rather than the legislature?


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"As a NYer, let me chime in..."
Posted by grit on 06-10-09 at 09:03 AM
*looks left*

*looks right*

Nope, no signs that the actual people of NY will be allowed to vote on this issue.

A few months ago, the NY Daily News had an in-depth article about how our state senate is basically ruled by only 3 people. Why do I even bother voting for a senator? And when my legislator Kristin Gillibrand was selected to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate, there was a special election to replace her. The phone calls and literature we received were kind of sickening. I'm kind of numb to the stuff that goes on in NY regarding politics.


another agman creation

"RE: As a NYer, let me chime in..."
Posted by samboohoo on 06-10-09 at 09:29 AM
Interesting. So now at the risk of sounding like a smartaras, this makes me very, very, surpised that this issue has not been voted on before now.

Has it been introduced? NY, along with CA, is one of the first places I would have expected this to happen - especially if there has been a blue legislature for so long.


Samboobree, brought to life by Arkie


"But the NYT..."
Posted by AyaK on 06-10-09 at 02:25 PM
LAST EDITED ON 06-10-09 AT 02:26 PM (EST)

...says the pro-same-sex marriage legislation is going forward and that at least one of the defecting Democrats (the new speaker) supports it -- and that its sponsor is also contemplating changing parties to the Republicans.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/nyregion/11albany.html?hp

It sounds like the Democrat majority has become a victim of its own success in gaining the majority.

"RE: As a NYer, let me chime in..."
Posted by agman on 06-10-09 at 06:01 PM

>Has it been introduced? NY,
>along with CA, is one
>of the first places I
>would have expected this to
>happen - especially if there
>has been a blue legislature
>for so long.

I would agree with that!

"Turnabout is fair play"
Posted by AyaK on 06-09-09 at 05:48 PM
LAST EDITED ON 06-09-09 AT 05:55 PM (EST)

This is exactly the same thing that the Democrats did in the California House in 1995, after voters dumped them from the majority by a 41-39 margin in the 1994 elections.

Democratic bigwig/crook Willie Brown wanted to remain in control. So he made what turned into a series of deals. First it was ...
Paul Horcher, who got recalled, so then it was
Doris Allen, who got to be Speaker but also got recalled, and then
Brian Setencich, who got to be Speaker but lost re-election.

Setencich ended up going to jail for corruption in 2001; Allen died of cancer in 1998; but Horcher worked for the grateful Democrats for years.

"Off to court"
Posted by AyaK on 06-11-09 at 09:45 AM
...go the Dems (this time), and it should come as no surprise that a little judge-shopping is going on as well.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/06/as-promised-smith-goes-to-cour.html

Of course, the Dems don't have a leg to stand on. But there are a lot of patronage jobs at stake, including the job of sleazebag-extraordinaire Angelo Aponte, who has barricaded himself in his office so he can't be fired.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/06/aponte-emerges.html

Isn't kidnapping a state building a felony?

"RE: Off to court"
Posted by Estee on 06-11-09 at 12:23 PM
who has barricaded himself in his office so he can't be fired

How is this supposed to work, exactly? The firing has to be done face-to-face and nothing else is legally valid? As long as he holds the bathroom, they must give in to his demands? All the good wine is in his liquor cabinet? What?

"Fascinating"
Posted by AyaK on 06-11-09 at 04:02 PM
Turns out this whole coup has nothing at all to do with the same-sex marriage bill, and everything to do with a Democrat billionaire who invested millions of his own money to put the NY Senate in Democrat hands and then felt like his views on reform were being rudely ignored by the Democrats.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/06/10/2009-06-10_fiddled_with_blackberry_as_senate_burned.html

Moral of the story: Treat everyone the way that you would want to be treated, no matter how self-important you are.

"RE: Fascinating"
Posted by kidflash212 on 06-15-09 at 10:00 PM
Actually Golisano is a Republican turned Independent, although he has donated large sums to Democrats over the years.

"Thanks"
Posted by AyaK on 06-15-09 at 10:34 PM
When I read this:

Golisano, who spent millions helping Democrats take control of the Senate for the first time since 1965

I figured that Golisano was a Democrat. Thanks for correcting me.

"The circus comes to Albany"
Posted by AyaK on 06-15-09 at 06:43 PM
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=810313

So now it's 31-31. Time for a power sharing arrangement.

"RE: The circus comes to Albany"
Posted by grit on 06-15-09 at 08:15 PM
I'm going to start a grassroots campaign here in NY for the next election:

Throw all da bums out!

Kind of catchy, doncha think? Unfortunately, most NYers have a short memory regarding this stuff when they're in the voting booth and tend to pull the lever for the most familiar name. It's kind of sickening and drives me nuts every November.


another agman creation

"RE: The circus comes to Albany"
Posted by kidflash212 on 06-15-09 at 09:38 PM
LAST EDITED ON 06-15-09 AT 10:40 PM (EST)

I'm with you Grit -

Isn't the definition of insanity doing the same thing over & over and expecting a differnt result? So then why do we keep electing the same politicians over & over and expect a better goverment?

"RE: The circus comes to Albany"
Posted by AyaK on 06-15-09 at 10:38 PM
Hey, maybe NY should elect Ashley Youmans DiPietro (now known as Ashley Dupré, but perhaps best known as "Kristen" to Eliot Spitzer) to state government.

At least she'd be honest about selling herself.

"Energizer Bunny takes over Senate"
Posted by AyaK on 06-26-09 at 01:47 PM
LAST EDITED ON 06-26-09 AT 01:47 PM (EST)

How do we know it's the Energizer Bunny? Because it keeps going ... and going ... and going ...

http://polhudson.lohudblogs.com/2009/06/26/democrats-gop-hold-separate-senate-sessions/

"RE: Energizer Bunny takes over Senate"
Posted by Estee on 06-26-09 at 02:05 PM
LAST EDITED ON 06-26-09 AT 02:07 PM (EST)

I haven't been bumping this because no matter how much press coverage of the events comes out, it's still just a little bit hard to believe...

Did you catch the part where the governor threatened to withhold their paychecks? As if a state senator's main source of income is their government dollar.

"RE: Energizer Bunny takes over Senate"
Posted by grit on 06-26-09 at 02:13 PM
Makes me proud to be a New Yorker.


another agman creation

"RE: Energizer Bunny takes over Senate"
Posted by kingfish on 06-26-09 at 02:24 PM
LAST EDITED ON 07-08-09 AT 06:21 PM (EST)

Having a deadlocked congress where nothing gets done isn't the worst thing in the world.

That would be having a congress where stuff does get done.

"Blue and red..."
Posted by cahaya on 06-26-09 at 02:45 PM
both?

Schizophrenic government.

""Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by AyaK on 07-08-09 at 04:49 PM
LAST EDITED ON 07-08-09 AT 04:49 PM (EST)

Governor Paterson plans to name Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor

So Paterson's big idea to break the deadlock is to take an idea pushed by the Dems and name a Democrat as lieutenant governor, which would permit the Democrats to retake control of the NY State Senate.

Only problem with that plan is that NY Attorney General Andrw Cuomo (also a Democrat) says it's unconstitutional. But when has a little matter like that ever stopped Democrats (or Republicans, for that matter)?

"RE: "Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by Estee on 07-08-09 at 04:55 PM
*covers eyes*

Is it even remotely possible to issue recalls for every last one of them and just let the custodial staff finish out the terms?

"RE: "Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by kingfish on 07-08-09 at 10:14 PM
I think I've got it.

Palin has seen her opportunity. She is solving her travel budget problem and the old "what do I do next" or "how do I top that" problem by resigning the Alaska Gov'ship, moving to NY, running for state legislature, solving the impasse problem in NY, then running for National legislature on the shoulders of a grateful New York citizenry. She'll probably skin a few upstate "b'ars" just to keep it real.

Hey, if a gal from Arkansas (another A state) can do it...


"RE: "Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by grit on 07-09-09 at 07:58 AM
At first I got worried - no, make that freaked out - to see that you're suggesting Palin should come to NY. Then I realized I have nothing to worry about. Last time she was here she got into it with David Letterman and I don't care what anyone says, she came out of it looking like a freakin' lunatic. No way she comes back to NY. Maybe she's going to move on to Alabama, another "A" state.

And I really, really, really, really hope that all my fellow voters remember this B.S. the next time we have to vote for state Senators. I can't believe that not one single senator has stood up and said, "The people elected us to do a job. Let's cut through this crap and figure something out."


another agman creation

I can dream, can't I?

"RE: "Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by kingfish on 07-09-09 at 09:19 AM
LAST EDITED ON 07-09-09 AT 09:26 AM (EST)

You caught me. That theory was really a desperate attempt to establish a political fire break for Alabama. And I am ashamed that I tried to throw New Yorkers onto the third rail.

With her Pentecostal leanings, she's would be eyeballing Alabama if she did decide to move, even though there haven't been any moose here for quite a while.

"RE: "Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by zombiebaby on 07-09-09 at 08:11 AM
I got a recorded phone call from the governor around 7 pm telling me this. I thought that was weird.
"RE: "Bleep the Constitution! Full speed ahead!""
Posted by AyaK on 07-09-09 at 12:33 PM
It's frightening to think that, despite the mess that Sarah Palin is leaving Alaska in, it's still better off than New York and California.

Paterson should have joined the circus as a knife thrower. So what if he's blind? He'd be as good at that as he is at being a governor.

"Democrats compromise ... but only with Espada"
Posted by AyaK on 07-09-09 at 07:28 PM
Looks like it's over, despite Paterson's half-witted scheme. The Dems made Espada an offer he chose not to refuse.

Dems regain control of Senate, Espada named majority leader