ALBANY—Next Thursday, Sally Minard will commit an act of political courage.Ms. Minard, a strong presence on the Democratic donor circuit in New York and a supporter of Hillary Clinton and the DNC, will host a breakfast at her Upper East Side house in honor of David Paterson. It shouldn’t... READ MORE»
ALBANY—A vote on same-sex marriage will be held "at a date not certain between now and the end of the year," David Paterson just promised publicly. "This is the first time the Senate leadership has indicated that it will support a vote on marriage equality," Paterson said. He also committed to putting the bill on the calendar for a special session next... READ MORE»
Anita Dunn is leaving the White House. Andrew Cuomo settled with CVS. He struck an agreement with gas companies in western New York. Jim Tedisco claims a... READ MORE»
ALBANY—It's a Hail Mary pass for same-sex marriage. State Senator Tom Duane, the measure's sponsor in that chamber, just walked across the back of the floor trailed by Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson and Eric Adams, his top lieutenant. Along with Senators Malcolm Smith, Eric Schneiderman and Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, they walked down to meet with David Paterson. Duane's hands were clasped and he was pacing. A source familiar with the lobbying effort... READ MORE»
ALBANY—David Paterson is softening on his proposed cuts to health care, and says that as negotiations continue on a deficit reduction package for the state, legislators can go home. "We'll continue the dialogue. I'll probably have a leaders meeting in the interim to keep us where they are, and bring the legislature in next Monday and Tuesday to complete this deficit reduction program," Paterson said, noting he would call a special session tomorrow except that... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Assemblyman Peter Abbate walked out of the member's lounge in his chamber and tried to snag a seat on a bench when someone asked him what was going on. "Nothing," he replied. It's a classic hurry-up-and-wait situation here at the Capitol. The Assembly was scheduled to go into session at 3 p.m. I saw Abbate at 4:20. State Senators are sitting in a closed conference, with demonstrators in favor of same-sex marriage and stronger tenant protections... READ MORE»
For City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, things are probably going to be less fun... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Next Thursday, Sally Minard will commit an act of political... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Right after David Paterson addressed a joint session of the legislature, I asked Assemblyman Vito Lopez whether he could say he supports the governor's 2010 electoral... READ MORE»
ALBANY—The Senate and Assembly have agreed to do four things in today's extraordinary session: a foreclosure relief bill, a loan program to allow businesses and homes to become more energy efficient, a mandate relief bill and the closure of a parole... READ MORE»
Within hours after the House of Representatives approved health care reform by a narrow margin, Republicans predicted retribution at the polls next fall. They promised to make every Democrat regret that historic vote as the first step toward the reversal of power in Washington. And as the current debate has proved, they aren’t going to let honesty become an obstacle. For a preview of coming attractions, simply turn on the Fox News Channel or any... READ MORE»
Guess who engineered Republican Dede Scozzafava's endorsement of her erstwhile Democratic opponent, Bill Owens, in New York's newly, temporarily famous 23rd... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Rick Lazio said that David Paterson's message to the legislature yesterday was accurate. But late. "I would have called them back much earlier; I would have stayed on top of them much earlier," Lazio, the only Republican who has formally declared a campaign for Paterson's job, told me by phone. "It's going to be much more painful than it needed to be if we had done it six months... READ MORE»
David Paterson addressed a joint session of the legislature about the severity of the state's fiscal problems. "If we make the tough decisions now, we can return to our investments in education and health care for all of New Yorkers," Paterson... READ MORE»
Chuck Schumer sets an aspirational year-end deadline for passing health care in Washington. Geoffrey Davis, in a text message to a Room 8 blogger, says, “Billy met w/ I.P. Before Bloomberg. Go check it... READ MORE»
Michael Bloomberg's embarrassingly narrow victory margin last week may embolden Democrats to do in his third term something they largely refused to do this year: attack him. With all the world assuming that the mayor was coasting toward a re-election landslide - and with polls showing him running even with (or even slightly ahead of) Bill Thompson among registered Democrats - most big-name Democrats, in New York and nationally, calculated that there was more to... READ MORE»
Michael Bloomberg is not humbled, and the AP looks back at that quote from Staten Island. “Term limits, shlerm... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has resigned her leadership post in the chamber, after she endorsed a Democrat when her Congressional bid... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Andrew Cuomo is not in this picture. "We invited the attorney general and the attorney general thanked us for the invitation and said that he had another matter that he had to address," David Paterson told reporters after he delivered a speech sounding, again, the fiscal alarm. "We invited all the statewide... READ MORE»
ALBANY—Two people declared today that they will run against State Senator David Valesky, a Syracuse-area Democrat who is a favorite (and prime) target of Republicans. Jessica Crawford, the leader of a young professionals group and a native of Watertown, announced that she will run against Valesky "to help create an Upstate New York that people want to move to rather than leave," according to the... READ MORE»
ALBANY—David Paterson arrived late for his big speech, and before an Assembly chamber that featured over a dozen empty chairs, delivered a blunt message: "Frankly, we are running out of money." "At this moment, all of us assembled in this chamber stand as the last defense between our state gong into a downward economic spiral that threatens to engulf generations of future new Yorkers," Paterson said. "We cannot, we must not risk the future of... READ MORE»
