Tag: hiram monserrate

Hiram ‘Slasher’ Monserrate to rejoin NY Dems.

And they’ll just let him?

So it seems, so it seems.

One week after deciding to side with Senate Republicans, a key architect of the state Senate coup says he’s coming home. A source close to Senator Hiram Monserrate says he will stay with the democratic caucus.

First off: feel free to take him back, Democrats. No. Really. You never really wanted him gone, anyway.

Second: this makes the entire NY Senate thing exceedingly complex. A 31-31 split will mean GOP-plus-Espada keeps control of the Senate… if his appointment is confirmed. That’s up in court today, and if the courts rule against Espada, the lack of a majority by either side puts the NY Senate back into chaos. There’s no Lt. Governor to break ties, you need 32 votes for a quorum, former Senate President Malcolm Smith’s being replaced as caucus leader… it is, in fact, going to be a glorious mess.

It’s even got a national implications: Democratic state senator Darrel J. Aubertine has been talked up to run for NY-23’s upcoming special election. The idea is probably giving his fellow-Democrats heartburn right now…

Moe Lane

Crossposted to Moe Lane.

Random observation about the New York Senate thing.

As noted here, here, and here, the New York Senate flipped partisan control yesterday, which means that today is going to be one long knife-fight in an alley up in Albany.  It all reminds me of this bit from 1776:

Lewis Morris: [as John Hancock is about to swat a fly] Mr. Secretary, New York abstains, courteously.
[Hancock raises his fly swatter at Morris, then draws back]
John Hancock: Mr. Morris,
[pause, then shouts]
John Hancock: WHAT IN HELL GOES ON IN NEW YORK?
Lewis Morris: I’m sorry Mr. President, but the simple fact is that our legislature has never sent us explicit instructions on anything!
John Hancock: NEVER?
[slams fly swatter onto his desk]
John Hancock: That’s impossible!
Lewis Morris: Mr. President, have you ever been present at a meeting of the New York legislature?
[Hancock shakes his head “No”]
Lewis Morris: They speak very fast and very loud, and nobody listens to anybody else, with the result that nothing ever gets done.
[turns to the Congress as he returns to his seat]
Lewis Morris: I beg the Congress’s pardon.
John Hancock: [grimly] My sympathies, Mr. Morris.

…only with less likable protagonists. I hear that Hiram Monserrate in particular isn’t actually changing his political affiliation, which is just fine with me.