AMERICAblog: A coup in the NY State Senate: Two Dems. defected, turning control back to GOP. This has major implications for marriage equality in New York.
cowboyneok
· 8 months ago
Just goes to show you how powerful hate is against the GLBT community if they indeed switched parties just to prevent us from having our marriages recognized.
FunMe
· 8 months ago
It would not surprise me if these latinos (I can say that because I am one) were all "religiosos" hiding their homophobia behind their warped belief.
Isadore
· 8 months ago
FunMe - that was my first thought, but it wasn't based on their ethnicity - just that I thought they were being good Catholics and standing up for an argument made by some sheep herder 2,500 yrs ago.
The catholic church finally recognized officially that the Earth is round in 1825, or last I heard.
Butch1
· 8 months ago
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if they actually were republicans and have been waiting for the proper time to help in pulling this coup by voting with the republicans.
K.D.
· 8 months ago
From the NTY piece: "Both men are under investigation by the authorities. The state attorney general’s office is investigating a health care agency, Soundview HealthCare Network, that Mr. Espada ran until recently. And Mr. Monserrate, who was indicted on felony assault charges in March stemming from an attack on his companion, would automatically be thrown out of office if convicted. "
Pay attention to how these ongoing investigations transpire, I think that may be the overlooked key here.
nikto
· 8 months ago
Bam!!
Well, there it is----They are thieves and con-men who are now realizing they're in the wrong party.
Thieves and con-men belong in the GOP. (Like cockroaches belong in garbage).
woodroad34
· 8 months ago
Grand Ol Pilfering or Grand Outrage Party. Either way the party of criminals and animals.
Miket298
· 8 months ago
Turns out Espada apparently doesn't even live in the district he represents.
Jophus
· 8 months ago
How on earth does the republican party look reasonable to a democrat? There is no logic other than being bribed with more power on the other side.
acknight
· 8 months ago
These were two of the "gang of three" that almost cost them the majority back in January. Apparently they weren't happy with the deal they had made back then.
Gridlock
· 8 months ago
Why are these people allowed in the party? Fuck them? Kick them out.
acknight
· 8 months ago
Yep. We knew they were DINOs anyways, I think they just hoped to string them along to keep a majority.
nikto
· 8 months ago
Amen!
Time to clean house.
Downside--Marriage is more in doubt now.
Upside--Democratic Party gets to clean some more filth out of the pipes, so to speak.
Brad
· 8 months ago
It is absolutely about Gay marriage. Hate grows deep and they switched sides to prevent the gay marriage law from even coming up for a vote.
NRafter530
· 8 months ago
Except that Espada is a co-sponsor of the bill to legalize gay marriage
TampaZeke
· 8 months ago
What this tells me is that Diaz Jr. and the rest of his Hee Haw gang just found out that gay marriage DOES in fact have the votes to pass and they got word that Smith was going to bring it to the floor. That is the ONLY reason that they would pull such an over the top reaction.
I hope New York voters vote the fuckers right out of their offices the next time they come up for reelection.
There's nothing more precious than watching Senators from an oppressed minority jump ship to support the oppression of another minority. It just warms the heart.
Gridlock
· 8 months ago
I've had fun encounters with that.. standing across a protest line from an interracial baptist couple, asian and black, screaming at me that gay marriage was against god.
Historical amnesia, stupidity or sheer ignorant bigotry.
mike
· 8 months ago
Oh well
"Thousands of New Yorkers attended the 17th annual Queens Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride Parade on Sunday in Queens, NYC. Organizers hoped that the large turnout would help to sway reluctant New York Senators to support a vote in the senate on marriage equality (there are sadly very few days left before this legislative session ends)."
daho
· 8 months ago
I still can' t understand why one senate majority leader has ALL the power to decide what reaches the floor for an honest vote. There's something very undemocratic about that.
Isadore
· 8 months ago
I agree daho.
Gridlock
· 8 months ago
I have a friend working on the floor there.. his message on facebook:
"thinks that this spells doom for both marriage and the timely end of session"
Jophus
· 8 months ago
I hadn't thought about long session. I have a feeling that state houses around the country will need to stay for long session, but will be pressured to put it off due to budgets.... Rock/hard place.
HereinDC
· 8 months ago
Cut off your nose.......
Soundboy_jeff_meanie
· 8 months ago
either they don't care... or don't recognize that their anti-marriage views are in the MINORITY among the voters of the state.
they're about to lose their jobs, maybe not right away... but in the next election.
Joneses
· 8 months ago
Maybe the Replugs told them that they could protect them from these allegations. Either way, they are toast.
nicho
· 8 months ago
Don't worry, Obama will save us.
Pfffft.
Tom in Lazybrook
· 8 months ago
My thought on this If the Federal Government would move on this, we wouldn't have to push these issues in the State Legislatures. So if there was comprehensive Federal legislation, there wouldn't have been a coup. I blame this on the Dems on Congress who refuse to move on our issues.
Another note: Let the guy in the Bronx try to win reelection as a Republican. Good luck with that.
Why didn't the Governor appoint a Lt Governor earlier? In that case when the anti-Gay Democrat that defected goes to jail, we would have control again. But at least this way, Diaz can't play kingmaker.
NRafter530
· 8 months ago
New York law does not allow a Lt. Governor to be appointed if the position is open...it gets filled in the next election
Donica
· 8 months ago
And yet, out of state gay marriages are legally recognized here in NY. Go figure..
Butch1
· 8 months ago
For now . . . ;-(
1of18000
· 8 months ago
So nuttiness ensues somewhere else BESIDES California. Misery loves company.
DougStamate
· 8 months ago
According to an entry over at DKOS, the brouhaha occurred after the adjornment of the session; the Democrats remain in control, for now, apparently.
timncguy
· 8 months ago
this may be a simplistic question. But, can anyone explain to me what the benefit to NY is for now alegalizing same-sex marriage?
NY already recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. And same-sex couple in NY who wants marriage benefits simply has to goto a neighboring state and get legally married.
The only thing NY is accomplishing here is losing all the economic benefits of same-sex weddings and honeymoons.
I should think all the small business owners like photographers, florists, caterers would be making their voices heard BIG TIME in NY.
jasonut29
· 8 months ago
From what I read ths is not a case of the politicians listening to their voters. Once again I would guess that money talks and the Republicans (and a couple of Dems) listen....hopefully in the next election the people will once again speak and remove the jerks!!!
chungkuo
· 8 months ago
If it didn't happen in NYC or Long Island, it doesn't matter. The constituents there barely know their state is a massive land-mass, and quite literally don't care what happens there. I doubt most of the voters in this state even care about what happened today.
chungkuo
· 8 months ago
NY State politics looks very complicated and confusing to outsiders, but it is really very simple:
1) Most of the population of the state lives on a very small chunk of land. We call that "down-state" and it consists primarily of New York City and Long Island.
2) Consequentially, most of the elected officials in state government represent down-state NY.
3) Nobody in down-state NY gives a rats ass about what happens north of Westchester or west of the Hudson.
4) Consequentially, none of those down-state politicians are ever held accountable for anything that they fiddle with or ruin north of Westchester.
I imagine this is the same attitude a lot of people in low populations states have about the US government. Most of the US House is from the coasts, and those people don't care what happens to them. Which is why a state with a relatively minuscule population like Wyoming is given as much power in the Senate as New York or California. It's supposed to balance out.
In New York though, almost all of the Republicans are from up-state, where I live. There is a perception up here that the only way anything happens that benefits us on the state level is if Republicans control the state Senate. The takeover today in the Senate might have something with the marriage issue, but if it does it's probably a very small part. It's more likely another battle in the never-ending struggle between The City and The Rest of the State.
All Comments
The catholic church finally recognized officially that the Earth is round in 1825, or last I heard.
"Both men are under investigation by the authorities. The state attorney general’s office is investigating a health care agency, Soundview HealthCare Network, that Mr. Espada ran until recently. And Mr. Monserrate, who was indicted on felony assault charges in March stemming from an attack on his companion, would automatically be thrown out of office if convicted. "
Pay attention to how these ongoing investigations transpire, I think that may be the overlooked key here.
Well, there it is----They are thieves and con-men who are now realizing they're in the wrong party.
Thieves and con-men belong in the GOP.
(Like cockroaches belong in garbage).
Time to clean house.
Downside--Marriage is more in doubt now.
Upside--Democratic Party gets to clean some more filth out of the pipes, so to speak.
I hope New York voters vote the fuckers right out of their offices the next time they come up for reelection.
There's nothing more precious than watching Senators from an oppressed minority jump ship to support the oppression of another minority. It just warms the heart.
Historical amnesia, stupidity or sheer ignorant bigotry.
"Thousands of New Yorkers attended the 17th annual Queens Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Pride Parade on Sunday in Queens, NYC. Organizers hoped that the large turnout would help to sway reluctant New York Senators to support a vote in the senate on marriage equality (there are sadly very few days left before this legislative session ends)."
"thinks that this spells doom for both marriage and the timely end of session"
they're about to lose their jobs, maybe not right away... but in the next election.
Pfffft.
Another note: Let the guy in the Bronx try to win reelection as a Republican. Good luck with that.
Why didn't the Governor appoint a Lt Governor earlier? In that case when the anti-Gay Democrat that defected goes to jail, we would have control again. But at least this way, Diaz can't play kingmaker.
NY already recognizes same-sex marriages performed in other states. And same-sex couple in NY who wants marriage benefits simply has to goto a neighboring state and get legally married.
The only thing NY is accomplishing here is losing all the economic benefits of same-sex weddings and honeymoons.
I should think all the small business owners like photographers, florists, caterers would be making their voices heard BIG TIME in NY.
1) Most of the population of the state lives on a very small chunk of land. We call that "down-state" and it consists primarily of New York City and Long Island.
2) Consequentially, most of the elected officials in state government represent down-state NY.
3) Nobody in down-state NY gives a rats ass about what happens north of Westchester or west of the Hudson.
4) Consequentially, none of those down-state politicians are ever held accountable for anything that they fiddle with or ruin north of Westchester.
I imagine this is the same attitude a lot of people in low populations states have about the US government. Most of the US House is from the coasts, and those people don't care what happens to them. Which is why a state with a relatively minuscule population like Wyoming is given as much power in the Senate as New York or California. It's supposed to balance out.
In New York though, almost all of the Republicans are from up-state, where I live. There is a perception up here that the only way anything happens that benefits us on the state level is if Republicans control the state Senate. The takeover today in the Senate might have something with the marriage issue, but if it does it's probably a very small part. It's more likely another battle in the never-ending struggle between The City and The Rest of the State.
-- Shawn in Albany