During his speech to the state Democratic Party this week, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver went out of his way to defend his legislative body, and emphasize the importance of the Legislature.
“One body of Democrats has been the consistent leader and unrelenting voice for hard-working middle-class families,” he said.
“We look forward to Read More
There’s been a lot of talk about the relationship forming between Andrew Cuomo, a “New Democrat,” and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, who is the longest-serving legislative leader in Albany’s history.
The relationship seems cool now, but not long ago, it was a bit warmer.
For all the closed-door negotiating Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver conducts, he’s still able to face a scrum of reporters and avoid direct conflict with Andrew Cuomo.
Here’s Liz Benjamin’s footage of Silver in Albany today, pledging his support for Cuomo, who’s intent on “fixing” Albany and changing much of the culture there.
I snapped this photo passing through Albany yesterday, and thought maybe if Andrew Cuomo and Ed Koch want to fix Albany, this might be a good start.
Despite the oddly soothing music, this UFT video captures some pretty irate teachers, unhappy with the state’s late budget.
“We are a dignified profession,” said Khiera Kersey-Heggs, a teacher in the Bronx. “No matter what these politicians are saying about us.” Later, a bunch of teachers and UFT organizers are heard chanting, “Do Read More
Before Tom DiNapoli left City Hall, I asked him, as a statewide Democratic official, how he felt about the fact that almost all the campaigns this year have the candidate vowing to “change” Albany.
DiNapoli is the state comptroller, and a Democrat—so his party is running the show in Albany.
And that’s the problem. Read More
This isn’t what I expected: A Republican is defending union members.
Republican state Senate candidate, Lee Zeldin of Suffolk, is out with a statement opposing a furlough of state workers. The statement from Zeldin doesn’t lay out alternatives to the furlough–which Governor David Paterson has proposed in order to help close the state’s budget gap. Read More
City Hall News captured this great line from Malcolm Smith saying Democrats “are going to draw the lines so that Republicans will be in oblivion in the state of New York for the next 20 years.”
Not the kind of cynical political strategery that one really wants to get caught saying.
Smith Read More
State Senate Minority Leader, Dean Skelos, is criticizing the latest comments by Democratic State Senator Kevin Parker, who called another Republican state senator a “white supremacist” on a radio show this morning.
Fun stuff, even by Albany standards.
Where it gets more interesting, I think, is Parker’s impact on another colleague: Eric Schneiderman. Read More
Pedro Espada responds to the charges levied against by him Andrew Cuomo, saying it’s “political payback.”
Best line: “I find it disingenuous to demonize my family simply for working for a business I founded. It is no more inappropriate than working for your dad if he happens to be governor of this great state.” Read More
