Monroerising.com had a good post on Hot Rod today. Read it here

By most accounts, the meeting in New York City yesterday was a bust, and not well attended. Some of the upstate 5 were iced in, while the Gang of 3 was iced out. Supposed coup leader Klein wasn’t there.

It’s pretty clear that Malcolm Smith does not have a degree in math as they are not any closer to the votes needed to take the majority and no one has the votes to take Smith out. That’s the real story of the Gang of Three.

This conference is dysfunction personified, no unity and a lot of personal animosity. Incompetent of any leadership that was entrusted to them. They’re clearly not ready for the task ahead.

The danger of all this is that, because nature abhors a leadership vacuum, Shelly steps in and takes de facto control of the entire Legislature AND the 2nd floor!

Brought to you by handy Andy Cuomo. 


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Malcolm Smith has not had a banner week. His leadership battle continues after a deal he botched and he is struggling with the press as well.

He abruptly departed a press conference earlier in the week after announcing committee chairs, pointing to his watch and not taking questions on his way out the door.

He has had two different incidents with the press, the other when he made a remark at a golf tournament to lobbyist about getting their money in early like an IPO.

Right after that remark he canned the press director and this week he showed another member of his press team the door.

Maybe someday it will click in someone’s mind, that Smith’s leadership abilities are deficient.  

Therefore, we will return the favor and they are now listed on P-IV.

That now ups P-IV listings to the Niagara region, Albany and Rochester.

Hey Jay, if you are paying close attention to New York State politics you might be a bit premature on this one, just like Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (who probably can’t even spell Agriculture) was when he announced Darrel as chairman.

Malcolm Smith’s leadership position is twisting in the wind caused mostly by his own doing. It is too late for Smith to attempt to take a principled position by saying he is breaking off the talks and the Democrats are better off in the minority when he already cut a deal with the G.O.T. then publicly denigrated the deal that was cut with Gov. Paterson in the room.

Smith said -

“We are suspending negotiations, effective immediately, because to do
otherwise would reduce our moral standing and the long-term Senate
Democratic commitment to reform and to change. We believe that
ultimately, we must do what is right for the people of the State of New
York. Furthermore, real reform cannot and should not ever include
limiting the civil rights of any New Yorkers. Those issues must be part
of the legislative process.”

That latter part of that statement by Smith refers to the deal cut with Diaz to keep the issue of legalizing gay marriage off the agenda. Now after the deal that Smith cut is dead, he wants to spin it out there that he is a civil rights hero.

Gov Paterson was at the table when the deal was cut and Smith is leaving Paterson hanging and he is starting WW III between two factions – Hispanics and African Americans. Paterson cannot afford the loss of the Hispanic community for his own re-election. The bottom line is that Smith could not close the deal with the balance of the conference after he made the deals with the three.

Smith’s leadership position is on life support.

Whether or not Smith should have cut the deal with the three to begin with is another debate, but regardless, he did and then he botched the deal.

Meanwhile, back at the rance the real issue of governing New York State still remains, New York is facing a projected $12.5 billion (and growing) deficit and the Democrats are moving no closer to solving the people’s problems. Are the Senate Democrats just demonstrating they cannot handle the leadership role properly without all these distractions?

McHugh was chosen over fellow committee members Roscoe Bartlett of Maryland and Mac Thornberry of Texas.

The full House Republican Conference was expected to follow suit and make the steering committee’s recommendation official.