Senate Democrat: Gridlock is About Spitzer's Partisanship, Not His Personality
Eliot Spitzer is soon to be the subject of two profile pieces in the New Yorker and Vanity Fair. And this follows a sympathetic cover story in New York magazine that focused on Spitzer’s anger and how it’s been used to change the political process.
But some Democrats say that the emphasis on the governor's personal disposition misses the point.
Eric Schneiderman, a state senator in Manhattan, says Spitzer would be mired in the current gridlock with Joe Bruno regardless of his personality.
“He may have issues," Schneiderman said. "But as long as he says ‘I am committed to taking the Republican majority out,’ all else is commentary.”
Schneiderman misses the point. It is the SENATE Dems' responsibility to actively try to take out Bruno, not the Gov's. As a matter of fact, that's how we got in this mess. Spitzer has a duty to work with the legislature for the benefit of the people of NY. But, if he (and his staff) spends time plotting to overthrow the Senate, it obviously destroys the relationship between the Senate Majority and the Governor's Office. Who are, like it or not, the people that Spitzer has to deal with for his first 2 years in office.
Oh yeah, and another thing, for anyone who is concerned that it would be a bad concentration of power if the Governor, Assembly Majority and Senate Majority were all from the same party - well, this only strengthens that argument. If I'm a Senate Repub in a mixed district all I would run on is: a vote for me is a vote to stop Spitzer's power-trip run away train.
Kinda catchy