Spitzer's_Day_One

The budget clock is ticking down.....while the assembly republicans are taking a licking..but keep on ticking.........photo courtesy of Capitol Confidential

Newsday's SpinCycle is in rare form these days.......Spitzer Numbers Dip...
The avalanche of negative ads about Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s proposed budget have dented his popularity, and the public wants a “good budget” even if it’s a little late, according to a new poll from the Siena Research Institute.
Spitzer’s favorable ratings fell to three-to-one positive in the last month compared with six-to-one positive in February. The poll of 622 registered voters was conducted March 19-22 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percent.
Sixty-two percent of those surveyed gave Spitzer a favorable rating, down from 74 percent in February and a high point of 75 percent after his November electoral victory.
In terms of the budget, 80 percent said they favored “a good budget” over one that was on time. Thirteen percent said they preferred an “on-time budget.”
James T. Madore
Poll spokesman Steven Greenberg said, "Voters believe an on-time budget is important but not nearly as important as a good budget. And if the deadline is missed and there's no budget by the weekend, voters spread the blame widely and don't single out the governor or either house of the Legislature." ........ok..as long as state government is not shut down........and how about Naked Ambition........

Which of the following was the most fevered lunge for self-promotion by a power player? 1. Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long leaning more toward Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s budget proposals than Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno’s, in an open letter to Spitzer?

2. Former Vice President Al Gore, returning to Congress, pleading with lawmakers to fight global warming with moral courage — but saying nothing about whether he'll run for president.

3. Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), refusing at a hearing to let Gore answer questions that he posed to him.
CLICK HERE to vote

meanwhile Liz Benjamin(Capitol Confidential)...thinks the budget is going to get done on time......"The Assembly Republicans broke out their “countdown budget clock” today, noting that after two years of on-time budgets, they had come to believe this item might no longer be necessary.
“We had one five-way leaders meeting in public, only one. We tried to have others but the Democrats wouldn’t show up. That’s a recipe for a late budget and it was one used to cook up 20 in a row at one point,” said Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady.
Meanwhile, one source connected to Gov. Eliot Spitzer said “progress was made” during budget talks today, although no hard-and-fast deals are about to be announced. The governor is (at this moment) fairly confident that an on-time budget is possible.
The legislative majorities in both houses are currently conferencing. There are no current plans for a leaders meeting, but talks are expected to last through the night.
My prediction: A handshake deal by Monday morning, but no bills passed.
Anyone care to place their (non-monetary) bets? " come on Liz...non-monetary bets are are like drinking non-alcoholic beverages.......yikes.........and if you feel in the mood to trash Pataki...and throw in Gargano for good measure..then read..........Gargano’s Slush Fund..........meanwhile back at the ranch...we learn Republican Senators from Long Island aren't impressed with Eliot Spitzer's budget modifications. and we learn Silver Says No To A Shutdown “I don’t think it’s an advisable option,” Mr. Silver said. “I think that there’s no reason to do it to gain political advantage. If there is, I’m not sure there is a political advantage, especially the next ten days. The first ten days of the fiscal years are a variety of religious holidays for people in the state. We don’t have to create turmoil"..........just like Santa Claus.....Santa Spitzer...He’s Making A List ......Appearing at today’s family-planning confab in Albany, Gov. Eliot Spitzer took a light jab at Senator Craig Johnson, the newly elected Long Island Democrat.
There are more than a few people who feel that Mr. Johnson owes his seat to Mr. Spitzer, who campaigned and fundraised hard for the senator — but who then came out against the governor’s plans to remake the formula for state education aid. (The existing formula is especially generous to the Long Island suburbs.)
Spotting Mr. Johnson in the audience, Mr. Spitzer told the assembled advocates that they were lucky to have Mr. Johnson as an ally.
“We’ll be counting votes very shortly,” he added. “Not to put you on the spot.” and finally it is very good to hear that the Gov, Mayor Work Things Out .........

# posted by andy : 6:09 PM