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Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith statement

by: Andrew C. White

Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:57:02 PM EDT

STATEMENT FROM AUSTIN SHAFRAN, PRESS SECRETARY FOR SENATE MAJORITY LEADER MALCOLM A. SMITH
"This was an illegal and unlawful attempt to gain control of the Senate and reverse the will of the people who voted for a Democratic Majority.
Nothing has changed, Senator Malcolm A. Smith remains the duly elected Temporary President and Majority Leader. The real Senate Majority is anxious to get back to governing, and will take immediate steps to get us back to work."

This is about to get real interesting.

Andrew C. White :: Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith statement

NOTE: Robert will have more on this shortly.

Tags: Malcolm Smith, Senate, (All Tags)

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Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith statement | 11 comments

This is almost as surreal (4.00 / 1)

as the day the Spitzer stuff broke.

New Yorkers against Harold Ford

by: Jrathman @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 15:59:44 PM CDT

by: you @ soon

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Welcome to politics in New York (4.00 / 1)

by: Andrew C. White @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:01:26 PM CDT

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by: you @ soon

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How is it Illegal? (0.00 / 0)

Does law prohibit those votes after the first one has been cast?

by: Rufus T. Firefly @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:01:27 PM CDT

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I don't think it is (0.00 / 0)

Dems are going to lose in court I think.

by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:03:31 PM CDT

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Not enough information yet (0.00 / 0)

to know.

by: Andrew C. White @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:05:59 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

Good luck with that Malcolm. (0.00 / 0)

by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:12:19 PM CDT

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What are the odds (0.00 / 0)

that if he loses, Smith is out as Democratic leader.

Is Jeff Klein next in line?

by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:17:19 PM CDT

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It is exceedingly unlikely (0.00 / 0)

that Smith is ever the majority leader again.

Klein is presumptive and the clear favorite but certainly not a sure thing.

by: Amherst Guy @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 16:21:34 PM CDT

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I guess we'll know tomorrow or similarly soon (0.00 / 0)

whether there are actually procedural and legal grounds for challenging this.

My bet is that there aren't, but if there are, what happens while that all gets decided? Is the Senate effectively shut down until the courts sort it out, or another deal gets made?

by: simonstl @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 19:49:04 PM CDT

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DKos commenter brainwave (0.00 / 0)

found this story from the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle that belies what's in the press release:

Assemblyman William Reilich, who is also the Monroe County Republican chairman, reported today that he witnessed state troopers guarding the Senate majority leader's office as former Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, removed his belongings, and said the Senate chamber was dark, with the doors locked.

If Reilich is telling the truth, then something certainly has changed.

by: devtob @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 20:51:29 PM CDT

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The majority is gone (0.00 / 0)

Friends of mine who works for the Democrats say they are being laid off because the majority have flipped. The Democrats don't expect to win this in court.

The Senate will probably be out of session for the rest of the year and maybe by January, Espada and Monserrate will be forced out and special elections will restore the Democratic majority.

by: nrafter530 @ Mon Jun 08, 2009 at 21:57:54 PM CDT

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Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith statement | 11 comments

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