Democracy In Albany

Sheer drama took center stage in Albany yesterday. The elements of surprise, betrayal, insurrection and resurrection were in full play as the Republicans retook control of the New York State Senate in what can only be described as a Hollywoodesque coup.

The Democrats were just about to approve (or so they thought) the state’s annual pork barrel spending resolution, according to the Albany Times Union, “in which they took the lions share of money.” Just then, Sen. Tom Libous (R-Binghamton) stood up to demand a vote on a measure that will affect the course of New York politics for some time to come. The motion at hand was simple but stunning: the immediate election of new Senate leadership to reflect the startling new majority caucus, including now-“independent Democrats” Hiram Monserrate of Queens and Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx.

Then the chaos ensued. Presiding Senator Neil Breslin (D-Albany) awkwardly tried his best to stop the motion from being passed and a roll call from even being cast. He even attempted to adjourn the Senate without concurrence from the floor. Eventually, Libous threatened to have Breslin removed from the dais by security lest he refuse to relinquish the chair that would no longer be his. See the drama unfold here and here.

As flustered Democrats stormed out of the Chamber, hoping (assumingly) to invalidate the impending vote for new leadership by their absence, one of the Democratic Senators pulled the light switch. It wasn’t the Republicans, however, that were left in the dark. The New York Times reports:

Asked by a reporter what was occurring, Senator Malcolm A. Smith, leader of the Senate Democrats who was huddled in the hall with his staff, responded, “I’m trying to find out right now.”

A spokesman for Mr. Smith, who lost the titles of majority leader and Senate president in the shakeup, issued a statement later saying that Democrats would challenge the vote, but it was not clear that they had grounds to do so.

There was no ground to stand on. Sen Smith arguably already knew this, since he was visibly playing nice before the evening news cameras as he kept referring to Espada and Monserrate as “my friends and colleagues.” Perhaps Smith should have said something to his spokesman Austin Shafran, who referred to Espada and Monserrate as “a thug and a thief” just a little while earlier in the evening. Whoops!

Smith’s office also released a statement that he in fact was still Majority Leader. But that was just nonsense on the part of the Democrats. Yes, they were outraged. Yes, they were deeply offended and downright embarrassed. But all the talk of legal challenges to the Republicans’ parliamentary coup d’état yesterday honestly has made them look just plain ridiculous. The Times sums David Paterson’s juvenile reaction in a sentence:

The governor also said “I will not allow this,” but then conceded that there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Indeed. In perhaps the wildest day in Albany since former Gov. Eliot Spitzer was outed as “client no. 9,” the New York Democratic Party was once again badly burned. Last time, at least they could say that an unpopular governor has been hoisted off their shoulders. This silver lining is harder to find this time around. After barely five months in charge, the NY Senate Democrats are back in the Minority ranks where, before January, they spent the past 40 years.

By the end of the exciting episode, Senator Dean Skelos (R-Long Island) was once again sworn in as new Senate Majority Leader while Espada was officially made President Pro Tem, just a heartbeat away from the Governorship.

The events that transpired yesterday will beget serious consequences and inquiries:

• Who was the mastermind behind the revolt? That would be Tom Golisano, billionaire political activist from Rochester and three-time candidate for governor, who has taken up the cause of “making Albany more open” and curtailing Democratic legislation that he considers anti-business. Shortly after the power switch, Skelos appeared before the press with Golisano and thanked him publicly for his organizational efforts. According to the Times Union, “he began the process of pushing for change two months ago.”
• Why did Espada and Monserrate defect? They were already part of the moderate “gang of four” (with Sens. Carl Kruger and Ruben Diaz Sr.) that had grown quite disgruntled with Sen. Smith’s leadership and behavior in the budget process, and deplored both Smith and Paterson’s push for gay marriage. Both downstate Democrats were ripe for the picking, and according to one Republican staffer in the Capitol, “Golisano got to them, and they seized the opportunity.”
• What is the future of gay marriage in New York? According to several Democrats I’ve spoken with: “It’s dead.”
• What does the future hold for Espada and Monserrate? Nothing promising. Both come from districts where elections are generally decided in the Democratic primary. They’ll most likely lose their seats in 2010—if they make it that far. Monserrate is currently facing battery charges for slashing his girlfriend with a broken bottle last year. According to another report, “Espada is being investigated by the attorney general’s office for his role in a health care agency.” If either is convicted, they’ll be removed from office instantly.
• What does the revolt mean for Albany? In the short term, there is going to be a return to massive gridlock, especially in light of the current huge budgetary fiscal situation. In the long run, it might strengthen Paterson’s hand in dealing with the State Assembly and the unions for a more moderate fiscal approach. According to one Democrat, this means “more job cuts, less taxes, which is what I think he wants, but can’t get.”
• What does the revolt mean for 2010? One Republican staffer told me about an expected “domino effect” that will directly affect the imminent special election in NY-23. Now that Senate Democrats are in the minority, upstate Democratic Senator Darrel Aubertine may very well go ahead and run for the McHugh’s old congressional seat. He’s been reportedly mixed about running, but now that he’s in minority rule and likely to face cuts in his budget and staff, there’s a good chance that he’ll take the plunge for Congress. Aubertine won his Senate seat in a super-tight election and has already been placed in the GOP’s crosshairs.
• What about the 2010 census? As one Democratic source told me, “If the Dems control both branches, the NY GOP is royally ****** because the demographic chickens will come home to roost with the loss of population upstate and growth downstate. The GOP base in the Senate and upstate will be gone.” I’m told every Republican office is extremely mindful of this. A worst case scenario could destroy the GOP in New York.
• Any more surprises on the way? Many on both sides of the aisle are wondering whether we’ve seen the last of the party swaps or if more moderates are in the wings and thinking about switching. One Democrat from the Capitol Region told me that “there were 6 other moderates who weren’t there for the vote and who might switch if the incentives are right.” We’ll have to wait and see.

I know that New York City is the city that never sleeps. But Albany, for good and ill, never ceases to amaze.