“Gang Of Three” Meeting Today
The “Gang of Three” Democratic dissenters in the state Senate are meeting today in New York City to further consider whether they will defect and join the GOP in January, one of them said today.
“We’re meeting at 2:45 and we will decide what we are going to do,” said Sen. Ruben Diaz, D-Bronx, one of the Democratic holdouts.
Diaz wouldn’t disclose the nature of the meeting, but some Democratic officials said today that they expect Diaz to eventually separate himself from the group and back Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith for majority leader in January.
“I don’t think Diaz is going to be much of a problem,” one source said.
Yet the same sources said they are increasingly concerned about what the two other members of the group—Sen.-elect Pedro Espada of the Bronx and Carl Kruger of Queens may do.
And Democrats would need one of them to come on board if Smith wants to be majority leader as Democrats technically would hold a 32-30 seat edge in January.
Of course, Democrats are hoping for an easier way out and that is if Democrat James Gennaro can pull off the upset against Republican Sen. Frank Padavan of Queens, who leads Gennaro by about 500 votes as the recount continues.
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Pedro Espada and Carl Kruger are clearly not thinking in the best interest of their constituents. I have heard that the democratic council already has worked out a “safety net” deal with several republicans. In other words, Malcolm Smith has secured the votes needed on the republican side if he needs them. These republicans are aware that it will be increasingly difficult to be reelected as a republican in certain areas, plus they want a “seat at the table” when the democrats take control.
Pedro Espada and Carl Kruger will essential be shut out and it will cost them and the areas they represent dearly. This is the worst thing they can do in this tough economic climate. They are using a checkers strategy in a very complex game of chess.
You put your finger, perhaps unwittingly, on what is perhaps the major problem up there. Citizens that a representative speaks for should not be “punished” because those particular representatives have a beef with the leadership. Although you might say this is just “reality,” is it a reality that does nothing but add sclerosis to an already sclerotic system. This is cynicism to the nth degree.
If Senator-elect Espada was elected on the Democratic ticket by Democratic constituents, and “defects” to the Republican party, then his constituents should rise up and act to have him immediately recalled.
It’s about time these guys get the message that they represent the VOTERS not their own specific agendas.
The gang of three is attempting to extort from the
republicans…who should tell them to get lost