The Governor makes a pre-emptive reaction strike against the blowback from something he enabled in the first place. http://politicker.com/2012/12/cuomo-warns-state-senate-coalition-that-hes-the-peoples-instrumentality/
So Dean & Jeff's clever deal is that, in an attempt to avoid the wrath of Mike Long, Dean will let certain liberal bills (somewhat watered down) come to the floor but have his membership vote against them. Then Klein will attempt to pass them on the votes of the Democrats he screwed. The Democrats' response is to hint that they will either vote no or walk out.
Killing a minimum wage increase (even a watered down one) is a response that shows more balls than brains, but give the Dems some credit–showing more a bit of either would still be an improvement over their past conduct. http://capitaltonightny.ynn.com/2012/12/sharpton-senate-dems-to-oppose-skleinos-over-the-long-haul/#more-89496
The IDC's Lady Macbeth goes all Oedipal and bitch slaps their spiritual father, Ruben Diaz, Sr.
AKA, "This is State Senator Diane Savino and this is what you should know" http://politicker.com/2012/12/cuomo-warns-state-senate-coalition-that-hes-the-peoples-instrumentality/
Stop picking on Jeff Klein–his predecessor was an actual mobster, so think of taking a mere hundred grand and change from cement companies and other manifestations of “the real boys” as a gradual step in the right direction. It's not like it was millions. http://www.riverdalepress.com/stories/Klein-says-hell-give-up-convict-donor-cash,51525?page=1
Is Marty Connor now ghost-writing for Michael Benjamin? http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/ny_senate_dems_can_win_respect_osf63M8TZoyqxtYm2IgswM
Jim Dwyer notices that the language of the State Senate's bi-partisan coalition for the upcoming sessions resembles nothing so much as the rhetoric from 2008-2009.
Such an orginal insight!
Sigh. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/12/nyregion/new-model-for-albany-looks-familiar.html?_r=0
No, I haven't got a new pseudonym; I'm apparently not the only guy who constructs new columns by rehashing my old ones http://observer.com/2012/12/four-men-in-a-room-how-the-independent-democratic-conference-did-new-yorkers-wrong/
In 2006, I said: "The largest faction of the Independence Party are “the unaware”; specifically those who checked the "Independence" box on their voter registration forms thinking it meant unaffiliated. Fulani/Newman flack Jackie Salit's recently cracked that McKay wanted to dis-enroll all but two of the party's 339,000 enrolled voters. But, as Salit and McKay both well know, if there were a label next to the "Independence" box on voter registration forms which said "Warning: If What You Really Want To Do Is Not Enroll In Any Party, By No Means Should You Check This Box", then the Party would only have about two enrolled voters."
Now the Daily News supplies actual data to prove this assertion correct, and asks that the voter registration form be altered in the manner I suggested. http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2012/12/nydn-investigates-the-independence-party-of-nyc-day-2
If I do any more items whining about how people are ripping off my stuff, or have just woken up years later to my brilliant insights, people are going to start mistaking me for Gary Tilzer
Bill Thompson says it’s the media’s fault that he’s perceived as unenergetic and unaggressive, and he thinks he might do something about it in a few weeks if he has the time. http://politicker.com/2012/12/bill-thompson-blames-unfair-media-coverage-for-the-perception-hes-boring/
Don't laugh about "Sal Who?"'s Mayoral ambitions. Sal Albanese represents several important demographics so far unrepresented in this year's campaign, including Italian-American males who've never been married to a lesbian.
Sal, who himself may once have run against a lesbian married to a male would fill a unique slot (perhaps not the best choice of words) running against a male married to a lesbian and a lesbian married to a female.
And given Sal’s crucial work back in 2002 to help elect Republican Marty Golden to the State Senate over Democratic incumbent Vinnie Gentile, Sal shows unique appeal to the politically transgendered community.
Can an endorsement by the IDC be far behind? (Hey, Malcolm is so inept, it could happen). http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/12/6850576/former-brooklyn-councilman-sal-albanese-make-third-try-mayor
Roberto Perez has created a living breathing archive of the thoughts of practically every semi-famous and infamous New Yorker who ever had any connection to politics, so his departure for an actual job is a terrible loss to the storage of our living political history.
Curse you, Bill DeBlasio (and Congrats to Roberto).
Drat–I was hoping to be asked for a return engagement on Roberto’s show. http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/politics/2012/12/6847535/bill-de-blasio-hires-perez-notes-reporter?city-bucket-headline
Kinsley: “Right to work” sounds like a law guaranteeing you a job, or at least protecting your job once you’ve got it. A lot of the propaganda by the Chamber of Commerce and similar business groups is about so-called forced unionism. In fact, it’s almost the opposite. The main effect of right-to-work laws is to outlaw regulations of employment and allow your boss to fire you without cause. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-12/the-conservative-case-for-right-to-work-laws.html