Espada makes me sick

This guy is a grade A opportunist, even more than Arlen Specter. He obviously saw once the gravy train with the Republicans ran out, he switches back. This guy even tricked senior citizens under the guise of getting free vegetables  to sign petitions to get his name on the ballot. Democrats like him tarnish our party's name.  

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by: ehstronghold @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:09:25 PM CDT

He may be the single-biggest

Scumbag Democrat in the nation... and that was even before he kicked off this insane nonsense. Now his reputation is all but sealed. I can't wait to see him behind bars soon.

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by: DavidNYC @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:20:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Agreed

I can't even understand how all 29 Democrats (other than Monserrate and Espada and Diaz) can possibly agree to vote for Espada as Majority Leader.

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by: LeftistAddiction @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:37:20 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

I'm Guessing Senate Prez

Is a rather powerless position? 'Cause it'd be awfully ironic if Espada's little tantrum ended up doing nothing about Smith's power.

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by: colbycakes @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:15:43 PM CDT

Yea I don't think it's much

Espada as Majority Leader though is disgusting.

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by: LeftistAddiction @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:37:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

i hate the mofo

to vote against your own party for leadership of your political body is treason.  i'm fine with giving him a title if it gets the dems back incontrol of the state senate and gets the senate working again.

but i hope the local demcorats hate him as much as i do and they demolish him in a primary.  are there any good candidates?  

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by: st paul sage @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:42:16 PM CDT

So...

Does Paterson still push for appointing a new LG? Or does this make the whole thing moot?

Also, I can only expect that the "co-majority leaders" arrangement will end in chaos.

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by: Fitzy @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 14:51:27 PM CDT

For those who know

Are there any likely retirements on the Republican side for the next election? In other words, is there a chance for a real Democratic majority on this map, or do the Dems have to humor Espada through redistricting?  

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by: andgarden @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 16:19:41 PM CDT

I sure as hell fucking hope not

Someone better primary his criminal ass. I'm also hoping that Skelos has been convincing folks in his caucus not to retire or resign by saying they'd be back in the majority soon... just trust him... there's something in the works. Now that this whole mess has crashed on the shoals of embarrassment, hopefully GOP spirits will be seriously deflated and some oldsters who have been putting off retirement will now jump.

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by: DavidNYC @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 17:56:22 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

If there are 3-4 dinosaurs from bluish districts

The Republicans should never have another majority.

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by: andgarden @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 18:19:29 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Primaries

I hope some of those idiotic Democrats are thrown out in primaries, too, and not just the couple of senators who started this whole idiocy. The Senate was terribly corrupt and dysfunctional before the coup, too. Time to clear out as much dead wood as possible, on both sides of the aisle.

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by: Pan @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 18:38:11 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Yup, everyone deserves a primary, and some

deserve to lose.  

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by: andgarden @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 19:25:36 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

The question is...

...with him back in the fold AND with a new powerful title to show for it will this whole stunt actually boost his popularity in his district?  Especially since without the stunt he pulled he'd just be known as the guy stealing from his non-profits and skirting campaign finance law.

While the rest of the state sees him as a corrupt selfish idiot.  Might the voters in his district see him as someone who stood his ground and got himself (and by proxy his district) rewarded for it.

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by: Taget @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 12:59:01 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

There are some oldies in the Senate

Owen Johnson, from Long Island, is 80. Hugh Farley, from Schenectady, is 76. Frank Padavan, from Queens, is 74. Kenneth LaValle, from Long Island, is 70. They may be encouraged to retire now that the Republicans have lost their majority.

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by: Johnny Longtorso @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 07:32:26 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

MSNBC

I couldnt stop laughing when they showed the live shots of the senate floor and they were arguing and Contessa Brewer said, "Yes these are actually adults."

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by: jmartin4s @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 16:45:44 PM CDT

Just Goes To Show....

Are they? You can't believe everything you hear in the press, you know.

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by: dsimon @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 23:08:13 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Not as funny as some Asian/European Parliaments

I doubt any of our legislators, no matter how juvenile/crazy, could top the antics I've seen in Asian and European parliaments. I still recall that incident in the Ukranian parliament where everyone was mobbing the speaker's chair, and this woman was using her shoe as a weapon.

I don't remember if it was Taiwan, South Korea, or some other country, but some irate citizens had stormed the parliament, and the legislators barricaded themselves in the chamber. Somehow, someone in the crows got a hold of some tear gas cannisters (or other smoke-causing device) and was trying to smoke out the legislators.

I also remember all those wrestling matches that would break out in Taiwan and South Korea. Heck, I remember reading one time that an irate legislator drove his car straight into the parliament.

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by: corran horn @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 09:19:25 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

I remember seeing youtube videos of brawls in the following legislatures:

Alabama state senate
Russian parliament
Ukrainian parliament
Taiwanese parliament
Indian congress (the state legislature for some province)
South Korean parliament (I think this is where people were trying to smoke out legislators)
some African country I've forgotten (maybe Kenya?)
and maybe Germany or Italy I think.

Just search around YouTube for legislature/parliament/congress fight/brawl/fistfight.

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 11:15:43 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Bizarre

It's as if this whole thing is a dream and didn't really happen. What the fuck did these idiots waste all this time for? I just don't understand this. I'll read more on The Albany Project later.

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by: Pan @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 17:46:36 PM CDT

Either way

these clowns should be easy to primary out.  I hope the deal didn't involve monetary support in their re-elections.

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by: skaje @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 18:08:45 PM CDT

Can someone remind me who Tom Golisano is?

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 18:33:09 PM CDT

Here's a nice source.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T...

He claims he relocated to Florida supposedly because of New York's "punishingly high tax rates" and that other rich people are doing the same.

Hmmm. Apparently some rich people in "just as punishingly high tax rates as New York" California missed the memo.

Check out the 2010 California races (http://2010californiaracetracker.wetpaint.com) and help us take back Red California! (http://www.takebackredcalifornia.org)

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by: californianintexas @ Thu Jul 09, 2009 at 19:15:00 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

o i c wat he did

Btw, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D... .  I love how Skelos is listed as "succeded by New York state senate leadership crisis".

Bill Posey is not half-alligator...and is outclassed by Davy Crockett anyway: http://www.washingtonmonthly.c...

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by: Glenn Magus Harvey @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 00:24:33 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Which one is Espada?

Is he the one under investigation because his health care company defrauded the state or is he the one who beat up his girlfriend?

Either way, he deserves to be primaried, found guilty of whatever charge, and given lifetime membership in the Worst Persons in the World.

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by: corran horn @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 09:13:31 AM CDT

He's the white collar crook

Hiram Monserrate is the domestic abuser.

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by: IndianaProgressive @ Fri Jul 10, 2009 at 11:02:28 AM CDT

[ Parent ]