ALBANY—State Senate Democrats just met behind closed doors, and the consensus is to keep meeting. Malcolm Smith, we’re told, is still their nominal leader after a floor coup yesterday.
“I don’t see any reason why not. I think that we have to maintain unity within our conference. This is a real test for us, and I think this is the time that we show what we’re made of,” State Senator Jose M. Serrano, a consistent Smith supporter, told me and a few other reporters after the meeting. “I think there’s a lot of anger at what took place yesterday on the floor, but I think it’s important that we channel that to stay as unified as possible within the conference.