Two Democrats in New York abandon ship, give GOP control of state Senate
Eeenteresting (via City Room, hat tip–The Anchoress):
Republicans seized control of the New York State Senate on Monday, in a stunning and sudden reversal of fortunes for the Democratic Party, which controlled the chamber for barely five months.
A raucous leadership fight erupted on the floor of the Senate around 3 p.m., with two Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens, joining the 30 Senate Republicans in a motion that would displace Democrats as the party in control.
Dean G. SkelosGiovanni Rufino for The New York Times Senator Dean G. Skelos, a Long Island Republican, would likely be the new majority leader if his party takes control.It was a noisy and acrimonious scene on the floor of the Senate as Senator Thomas W. Libous, a Republican from Binghamton and the party’s deputy leader, shouted for a roll-call vote, while Democrats attempted to stall the vote by asking to adjourn the session.
All 30 Republicans stood with their hands raised, signaling a vote for a change in leadership. Mr. Espada and Mr. Monserrate joined them, each raising his hand.
More background from the NY Daily News on how gay marriage politics figured into the maneuvering.
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Trackbacks
- Breaking: GOP Takes Control of NY Senate, Reports Say : The American Pundit
- The real change we need! 2 NY dems switch to GOP, giving them control of NY senate | Fire Andrea Mitchell!
- Revolution in Albany! « The Liberty Boys
- NY State Senate Now Republican « In Other Words
- Monday, June 8, 2009: Daily Handpicked Headlines :: Daily Uprising :: Join the Conservative Counter-Revolution!
- Escape from New York: Billionaire Tom Golisano Leaving NY Because of High Taxes, Gets Advice from Limbaugh « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- N.Y. Republicans Win Senate as Democrats Switch « Goodtimepolitics
- Nassau County Conservative Chaos « The New York Groove
- Obama – Job Number Fiction – New York Senate – Obama Enemies List – Larry Sinclair – The BOPAC Report « “The BOPAC Report” & Larry Sinclair’s Allegations – ZachJonesIsHome
- What’s going on in Albany? WTG GOP « Dianej’s Weblog
- Obama’s Recession: Racial Gap Growing, No End in Sight — Unemployed NYC Blacks’ Numbers Increasing at Alarming Rate « Frugal Café Blog Zone
- Biden and His Math Malarkey: “We’ve Got to Spend Money So We Don’t Go Bankrupt” (video) « Frugal Café Blog Zone
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- Just the Beginning of Obama Budget-Busting “Big Cheese” Mayhem: RECOVERY.GOV // AWARDED: $1,562,568 FOR ‘MOZZARELLA CHEESE’ « Frugal Café Blog Zone
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If it were only that easy in Washington! Good grief, those fellas better hide. Somebody will be looking for them.
Just politicians doing whatever it takes to keep themselves happy. I do NOT approve of a politician changing their allegiance once voted in. It is a smack in the face to the people that elected them.
Seconded.
It is that easy in Washington. All it will take is for a few more state pension funds to go belly up in Obama’s sea of change and politicians will desert the democrats in droves.
Your implication is that their allegiance is to those that voted them in?
Hmm, did the voters vote for the PARTY or for the PRINCIPLES that the candidate stands for?
Not sure where I stand on candidates switching parties during the term.
I approve heartily of Liberals changing their allegiance once voted in, and soundly condemn it when Conservatives do the same.
Anyone who disagrees with me can say so to one of my faces.
The article cited is poorly written but I take it someone is trading their vote for power…business as usual.
This same situation happened in (I believe) Kentucky recently. Only there it was a GOPer who defected to the Dems and gave them control of the state legislature.
According to the story the Dem leadership promised not to try to pass gay marriage, and reneged on their promise. This prompted the defection.
Gay marriage is a political loser for the Dems. It says a lot about the power of the gay mafia that they are so committted to advancing it all the same.
Coincidentally, this occurred after Palin came to NY.
Finally, change is on someone’s horizon. May it spread to epidemic proportions.
I’m thinkin’ Obama’s wheels are going to come off the wagon sometime this year. It’s starting to crumble now…
They’re scrambling about the economy, and the media is (very mildly) starting to catch on. Give it time.
This should remain a focal point for ALL conservatives to remember.
Meanwhile, back at the Vichy Republican ranch, Laura Bush supports Sotomayor
She also thinks Michelle Obama is doing “a great job”.
Must be a “girlz” thang.
Well apparently the Europeans took a good at Obama…
Phil #15
Heard the blip about Laura Bush’s endorsement of the wise-latina-on-crutches earlier and the first thing that came to mind was that she reminded her of little George’s nanny back in Texas.
Sorry, ‘Bambi is going to have to rid himself of this obviously clumsy person. She is too old to warrant treatment under his new/revised/recycled medical plan.
Phil #15 – forgot to add:
Laura’s enthusiasm for the great job Michelle ‘Bambi is doing – if you’ve seen the picture floating around the ‘net of Mrs. Sarkozy being scornfully looked on by MO – it shows what a well-bred, sophisticated, worldly, arugula eating 1st Spouse we have. America disgraced again by a moron. What did she do with her charm class money anyway?
Ships headed to the bottom, scramble to be on top.
One of the ship-jumping senators, Hiram Monserrate, is under indictment for assaulting his girlfriend. Not that such conduct is unusual among New York legislators. Another Dem senator, Kevin Parker, who has not switched, is also under indictment for violent behavior.
As I read the story, the 2 Dems in particular didn’t change parties, they simply stood and voted with the minority party on a procedural vote to challenge the control of the Senate.
That’s not “jumping ship”, that’s just plain old common sense breaking out!
Thirded.
But thats also part of how politics work nowadays. You vote with the caucus so to speak. See Nancy Pelosi for how to take it to an art form including blackmail, extortion, intimidation, bullying, blacklisting, subpar assignments, etc.
A caller to a local talk show suggested that Tom Golisano may have offered to help pay the legal bills of the two gentlemen who switched parties (evidently, the NYS Dem Party would not), thus there may be a something-for-something here. The host of the show said that this scenario is plausible, but there’s no way to prove it likely (at least for now). As for this being triggered by gay marriage, maybe, but, then again, if Golisano, who *still* has business interests in NYS (Paychex, Buffalo Slugs ERRRRR Sabres) did this just to take a jab at one party rule in NYS as he heads down to Florida, well, maybe gay marriage isn’t such a hot-button issue after all.
*out*
I would normally give a Fourth, but it’s time for a little payback so………
cool!
and I hope for another 1994 in 2010. I think there is a lot of national angst about the complete steamroller job the democrats are doing to America!
You know, the fact that the Democrats in New York acted like spoiled children over the issue is the really telling thing. The way they shut off the lights and the Internet on the way out so as to delay and make the whole thing more difficult was nothing less than embarrassing.
Anytime the Democrats don’t get their way, they act like spoiled little children. They throw little tantrums, and to the equivalent of holding their breath. Look at how they acted in California concerning the loss of Prop. 8. Just can’t wait till the vote on the racist, sexist person that Das Fuhrer has been threatening the Republicans with. I am sure it will be yet another exercise in adult politics. God help us if there is several Democrats who just happen to be getting tired of what the Dems are doing in Congress, and who want to defect. I am sure there is at least one or two already and they are terrified as to what will happen to them.
I think that’s the question. The party is, often, a fixed behemoth that does not change its principles, even when people want it to.
If these politicians ran on principles that no longer meet with the principles of the party, switching allegiance is not a slap in the face of voters, because I doubt these politician’s entire campaign platform was simply, “Vote for me, I’m a Democrat.”
Amen to that, brother! Remember in Texas when their legislative Dems were going to lose but had to vote, so they ran away. Literally! They had to send the Texas Rangers (not the baseball team) to round them up.
And last August in the federal Congress, Pelosi killed the lights and C-Span cameras in the House to prevent further discussion on the Energy Bill.
These are the equivalent to: “I’m taking my ball and going home!” That behavior always came from the whiny little kid on the block who could never understand why no one else liked him.
Whereas these are reprehensible behaviors by both parties, the Dems seem to have developed it into a high art form.
These two “democrats” are well known as opportunists. The term “snake” has been used to describe them for years.
Gingrich is wrong: this is not the time for equivocating on conservative principles simply to gain power. This is the time for conservatives to be conservative – and this is most definitely NOT what just happened in Albany.
If this doesn’t backfire on these RINO’s, I’ll be amazed…
When Jeffords does it, it’s OK. When Spector does it, it’s OK. If a Democrat does it, it’s outrageous, possibly criminal, and a betrayal.
Look, both parties are composed primarily of people manipulating the system for power and personal gain. Look at the amount of money from out of New York poured into Aubertine’s race.
We have the most expensive government money can buy, and I’m convinced we’d do better if we selected names at random from people who were not lawyers or convicted felons.
That’s exactly what happened. When Reagan was President, a democrat congressman from Texas (can’t remember the name) sided with Reagan on his economic policies. The democrats howled and actually removed him from some important committees. So he switched parties.
However…and this is big. He had been elected as a democrat. He switched parties and went back to his constituents and asked to be re-elected as a Republican. There was a special election and he was re-elected. He thought enough of the voters to give them the choice.
It wasn’t the party, it was the principle.
They did it more than once. After the first time, Governor Perry threatened to send the Rangers for them. So they decided to flee their jurisdiction entirely. And this wasn’t just over a petty bill, it was over the Constitutionally mandated redrawing of election lines. It made me thank God that my 4 year old is more mature.