Saturday, January 27, 2007
Doubting Dems Demand Do-Over???
Cara Matthews and Yancey Roy (Press Connects) shout Panel may have rigged picks for comptroller, Democrats say here are a few quotes... "ALBANY -- The competition over who will replace disgraced former state comptroller Alan Hevesi might have been rigged, stunned Democrats asserted Friday." "Top Democrats said it appears legislators who applied were blacklisted and voiced concerns that Gov. Eliot Spitzer -- who wanted someone outside of the Capitol to take the job, as the state's fiscal watchdog -- weighed in on the selection process. One candidate who didn't make the cut declared he was still in the race.
And others hinted that a Spitzer ally that made the finalist list, Westchester County businessman Bill Mulrow, was "finished" as a candidate because of the perception that the deck was stacked." "Canestrari said the Democratic conference would meet next week, probably Tuesday, to talk about the next steps. Most lawmakers will be at a funeral Monday for a Staten Island assemblyman who died this week.
"I'm in a state of shock. I never expected this, and it's out of the blue," he said. The shock was because the panel could have chosen two more people, "and it seems to me at least one could have been one of us," Canestrari said.
Choosing someone outside the three finalists is an option, he said. "It's just so surprising and I believe our colleagues did a good job, they did a very good job," he said. "It's different if they were blown out of the water. They weren't, and no one else was head and shoulders above them.".........I would love to be a fly on the wall during their first get together on tuesday.......Fred Dicker of the Post explains to us HOW ELIOT GAVE SHEL A 'KICK IN THE GROIN' .....yikes...that's gotta hurt ....."Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose vaunted negotiating and strategic skills often upended the best laid plans of Republican former Gov. George Pataki, may finally have met his match - and wound up upended himself - at the hands of Gov. Spitzer, a fellow Democrat.
Assembly insiders yesterday used words like "humiliated" and "dissed" and phrases like "kicked in the groin" to describe the situation faced by Silver. A three-member panel unexpectedly refused to include even a single Assembly member on the list of those to be considered by the Legislature as the new comptroller. " Fred thinks Shelly's Speaker's job is on the line..if he doesn't fight back and suggests "Spitzer should get Pataki's home number, and get ready to dial him up for advice on coping with life after losing at Silver's hands." MICHAEL COOPER of the NY Times reveals An Open Job Opens a Rift in Albany "It took less than a month for Gov. Eliot Spitzer to find himself on the precipice of an all-out political war with the man he replaced as the top Democrat in New York State government, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver."
My question is....was all of this worth it? With so much do do in Albany...was it worth all this anger and upsetment and potential rift among dem leadership? did Spitzer miscalculate Silver??? here are few more quotes.....“I think we’re at war, but I’m not sure,” said one Assembly Democrat, who was granted anonymity to describe the private machinations in the Assembly. “This is a clash of the titans, and I don’t know how this plays out.” “As of this moment, the members are freaking out, and Shelly is in a very tight spot,” said another Assembly Democrat who was granted anonymity to describe the private conversations of lawmakers. “They are saying, ‘If we’re not going to stand up for something that is clearly the province of the Legislature, when will we stand up?’ ” and finally The Wonkster has an interesting little piece on this Silver vs. Spitzer ........quoting from various political blogs...one thing is for sure..next week ought to be very very interesting..........andy
And others hinted that a Spitzer ally that made the finalist list, Westchester County businessman Bill Mulrow, was "finished" as a candidate because of the perception that the deck was stacked." "Canestrari said the Democratic conference would meet next week, probably Tuesday, to talk about the next steps. Most lawmakers will be at a funeral Monday for a Staten Island assemblyman who died this week.
"I'm in a state of shock. I never expected this, and it's out of the blue," he said. The shock was because the panel could have chosen two more people, "and it seems to me at least one could have been one of us," Canestrari said.
Choosing someone outside the three finalists is an option, he said. "It's just so surprising and I believe our colleagues did a good job, they did a very good job," he said. "It's different if they were blown out of the water. They weren't, and no one else was head and shoulders above them.".........I would love to be a fly on the wall during their first get together on tuesday.......Fred Dicker of the Post explains to us HOW ELIOT GAVE SHEL A 'KICK IN THE GROIN' .....yikes...that's gotta hurt ....."Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, whose vaunted negotiating and strategic skills often upended the best laid plans of Republican former Gov. George Pataki, may finally have met his match - and wound up upended himself - at the hands of Gov. Spitzer, a fellow Democrat.
Assembly insiders yesterday used words like "humiliated" and "dissed" and phrases like "kicked in the groin" to describe the situation faced by Silver. A three-member panel unexpectedly refused to include even a single Assembly member on the list of those to be considered by the Legislature as the new comptroller. " Fred thinks Shelly's Speaker's job is on the line..if he doesn't fight back and suggests "Spitzer should get Pataki's home number, and get ready to dial him up for advice on coping with life after losing at Silver's hands." MICHAEL COOPER of the NY Times reveals An Open Job Opens a Rift in Albany "It took less than a month for Gov. Eliot Spitzer to find himself on the precipice of an all-out political war with the man he replaced as the top Democrat in New York State government, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver."
My question is....was all of this worth it? With so much do do in Albany...was it worth all this anger and upsetment and potential rift among dem leadership? did Spitzer miscalculate Silver??? here are few more quotes.....“I think we’re at war, but I’m not sure,” said one Assembly Democrat, who was granted anonymity to describe the private machinations in the Assembly. “This is a clash of the titans, and I don’t know how this plays out.” “As of this moment, the members are freaking out, and Shelly is in a very tight spot,” said another Assembly Democrat who was granted anonymity to describe the private conversations of lawmakers. “They are saying, ‘If we’re not going to stand up for something that is clearly the province of the Legislature, when will we stand up?’ ” and finally The Wonkster has an interesting little piece on this Silver vs. Spitzer ........quoting from various political blogs...one thing is for sure..next week ought to be very very interesting..........andy
