Politics on the Hudson

Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos was re-elected by his conference today to remain its leader—whether that it’s in the majority, or more likely, in the minority in January.

“I am very pleased and gratified that my colleagues in the Senate Republican Conference have again selected me to serve as their leader,” Skelos said in a statement.

“While there is difficult work ahead, I appreciate the confidence they have placed in me and look forward to continuing to lead our conference forward.
We will remain focused on issues that are important to New Yorkers and their families, including controlling spending, reducing property taxes and creating jobs.”

Skelos and his potential Democratic successor Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, argued during today’s special session about who would have the votes to pass Governor Paterson’s spending cuts.

Skelos said that Smith didn’t have the votes to help pass Paterson’s cuts.

“I guarantee that within your own conference you cannot produce anywhere near the 29 votes” that Democrats hold,” Skelos said to Smith.

“I guess I can turn around and say your conference doesn’t understand the seriousness of what’s going on.”

Smith fired back that Skelos was misleading the public by suggesting that Republicans might have passed Paterson’s cuts had the measure been brought to the floor.

“Don’t be fooled by this charade,” Smith said. “This man has been in the Senate for 25 years. He knows that that is just a game. You don’t put a bill on the floor that you don’t expect to pass.”

When Skelos reiterated that Smith has 29 Democratic members, Smith said “excuse me, I have 32”—indicating how many he may have on Jan. 1.

Skelos then said, “right now you have 28.”

|  Email This