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Elsewhere: Defeating Thune, Downplaying Thompson, The Naked Cowboy Endorses Bloomberg

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 17:49:00 -0400

Michael Bloomberg’s cars idle, despite his policies. The Washington Post carries the story online. Bloomberg opted for restraint when asked about Bill Thompson’s audit. Thompson pushes his message on Twitter. Thompson’s report on city graduation rates are of interest to Long Island. The Swing State Project notices the question left out of the poll Carolyn Maloney distributed to reporters. The Thune amendment got...shot down. Bloomberg, and Scott Stringer, trash a senator who said the Thune amendment would make Central Park safer. Republican...

Republicans Ponder Scozzafava, Attack Still-Balking Aubertine

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 16:55:00 -0400

ALBANY—Republicans are lashing out at State Senator Darrel Aubertine, the most likely Democratic candidate to succeed John McHugh in Congress, releasing this TV ad tomorrow and a robocall painting him as a tax-and-spend liberal. "Call Darrel Aubertine. Tell him he voted for too much spending," says the ad, which the National Republican Congressional Committee says will start airing tomorrow. The G.O.P. has been bracing for an Aubertine candidacy, but moved to attack before he was (or...

Paterson Vetos $5.7 Million of Spending

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:16:00 -0400

ALBANY—David Paterson announced he has vetoed 14 bills, claiming savings to the state of $5.7 million. Earlier this year, angry at legislators for not introducing his legislation to enact a spending cap, Paterson threatened to veto bills that spent money. Here's a list from the governor's office of his latest victims: A.1800/S.2210, which could have cost New York City an estimated $162 million by changing the definition of the word "income" as related to the way...

Morning Read, Upstate: Ravitch Blocked

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:53:00 -0400

Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca issued an injunction that will prevent Richard Ravitch from acting as lieutenant governor until a hearing in August. LaMarca wrote that Republicans bringing the suit established a "likelihood of success." David Paterson's spokesman vowed an appeal. Colin Powell brought motivation, traffic jams, to Albany. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, in an anti-obesity initiative, released a study showing that upstaters are more svelte than downstaters. National Republicans will start running ads that Darrel Aubertine won't like. There...

Morning Read: Dissecting Thompson's Report, Paying Medicaid

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 08:32:00 -0400

New York City will pay $100 million to the federal government for improperly receiving Medicaid funds for speech therapy. The city will pay in $10 million increments. Bill Thompson’s report yesterday on city schools “did not point to any conclusive evidence of manipulation” and identified only “potential for abuse,” writes Javier Hernandez. The New York Post editorial board said “If Thompson hopes to be mayor, surely he can find more substantive gripes.” Liz Greene said the report isn’t...

Bloomberg, Into the Albany Muck

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 19:50:00 -0400

In his second and final campaign event of the evening of July 20, Michael Bloomberg visited a steaming hot volunteer headquarters in Riverdale, where he talked about his attempts to narrow the achievement gap between minority and white students. He was troubled. “People said you couldn’t do anything about it in the last seven years,” he said, sweating in a monogrammed white shirt. “And I think in the next four years, assuming we get mayoral control...

Dept. of Education Reacts to Thompson's Audit

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:45:00 -0400

A spokesman for the Department of Education sent out a response to Bill Thompson’s audit. The main thrust of the response is that Thompson’s audit relies too heavily on something called the High School Scheduling and Transcript system (HSST), which the city administration says “is a relatively new system that many schools had not even begun using in 2007, the year he focuses on in his audit.” HSST also was imprecise in its ability to classify...

After the Storm, a Commitment to Diverse Judges

Tue, 21 Jul 2009 17:29:00 -0400

ALBANY—The Commission on Judicial Nomination has posted a new set of criteria for selecting potential candidates, including a specific declaration of the benefits of diversity. These new rules come after a tiff earlier this year that the Commission's slate of potential candidates--from which the governor is legally obliged to select judges for the Court of Appeals--was not diverse because it included no women. There was talk of legislative action (hearings! task forces!) but ultimately, Paterson appointed...

Espada: 'One Has to Be Very, Very Careful'

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:43:00 -0400

ALBANY—For those of you who can't get enough of State Senator Pedro Espada Jr., he sat down with Susan Arbetter on New York NOW this week for a long, wide-ranging interview. "One has to be very, very careful, because at any given time, an agreement, a deal could be cut that leaves you out," Espada, who did a double-double-cross to become the chamber's majority leader, told Arbetter. Here's a clip of Espada talking about the Democratic...

Klein Outraises Everyone, Espada Tells an Untruth About Filing

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:46:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator Jeff Klein raised more money in the last six months than any other member of his chamber. Klein's filing shows that the deputy majority leader raised $638,564, and has $866,984 in the bank. That's more than President Pro Tempore Malcolm Smith, who raised $575,835; Republican Leader Dean Skelos, who raised $256,022; Democratic Conference Leader John Sampson, who raised $105,223; and Senator Carl Kruger, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who raised $541,510. It's...

Midnight at the Board of Elections

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:06:00 -0400

Here's my attempt to document the majesty of last night's petitions-filing deadline at the city Board of...

Who Runs the Senate? (July 17 Edition)

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:05:00 -0400

ALBANY—So now that the Senate is nominallly a functioning body, who's running it? It's not an easy question to answer. "It's not a clear, bipartisan operating agreement, but it's not as though the Democrats have established clear control over the Legislature again and are consistently moving their agenda," Justin Phillips, a political science professor at Columbia University who researches state government, just told me by phone. "The Democrats are nominally back in charge, but until we...

Murphy Makes a Show of Fund-Raising

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 16:02:00 -0400

ALBANY—Here's a glimpse into Representative Scott Murphy's campaign strategy moving forward: show you can raise lots of money, fast, and hope that, despite the party enrollment disadvantage, potential Republican opponents will be scared off. Murphy raised $363,151 during this quarter, and according to his chief of staff Todd Schulte, has raised $567,000 since April 1, when he narrowly defeated Assemblyman Jim Tedisco. Murphy also established a joint account with the New York Democratic State Committee, which...

Elsewhere: Weiner Sells Obamacare, Sharpton and Bloomberg Endorse

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 15:54:00 -0400

Al Sharpton is endorsing Bill Thompson tomorrow [no link]. Michael Bloomberg’s comments about the State Senate get noticed. Liz Green has more on that. Bloomberg's first endorsement of 2009 is for Democrat Paul Vallone. Queens Republicans are not happy. Hillary Clinton resists the idea that she’s been marginalized. Nydia Velazquez gets encouragement on health care. Kirsten Gillibrand legislates for fruit farmers. Rudy Giuliani is a strong contender for governor, says CQpolitics. Anthony Weiner takes on health care, in his own unique way. Weiner...

Senate Staffer Pleads Down Forgery Case

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 14:11:00 -0400

ALBANY—Indira Noel, a top Senate Democratic staffer, pleaded guilty this morning to disorderly conduct. Above is the complaint filed against her, which accuses her of two misdemeanor forgery charges related to a 2007 incident in which she falsely signed documents to obtain college transcripts of Jean Pierre, a staffer who Noel hoped to have fired. Heather Orth, a spokeswoman for Albany County District Attorney David Soares, said Noel pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, a violation, and...

Bloomberg Blasts Senate Over Schools Bill

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:19:00 -0400

ALBANY—Here's the final roll call on State Senator Kevin Parker's "better schools act," which failed last night by a margin of 40-15. Acting on the bill was basically a shot at Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Here's what Bloomberg had to say this morning on his weekly radio show on WOR: There were 15 people last night who voted for a bill which would end all of the progress that we've made in the schools in terms of...

Obscene Gesture: Senate Dems Take Up Anti-Mayoral Control Bill

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:14:00 -0400

ALBANY—Not only have Democrats in the State Senate turned their back on Michael Bloomberg's vision of school governance legislation, they're mooning him. Senators will act on a bill—called the "Better Schools Act"—that is stridently opposed by the mayor because it dilutes his influence over the school system by eliminating his ability to appoint a majority of the Panel for Educational Policy and giving members a fixed two-year term. It also has other mechanisms for increasing...

Thompson Gets a Shout-Out from Obama

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 19:58:00 -0400

Hours after Chuck Schumer heaped praise on Michael Bloomberg, Barack Obama gave a shout-out to the mayor’s Democratic rival, Bill Thompson. During his speech at the NAACP centennial event in midtown tonight, Obama said, “We know that even as our economic crisis batters Americans of all races, African-Americans are out of work more than just about anyone else—a gap that’s widening here in New York City, as detailed in a report this week by Comptroller...

Reform, and Controversy

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:15:00 -0400

ALBANY—Senator Eric Schneiderman said the rules reforms adopted last night are "without peer," but they won't change anything in the Capitol immediately. Possibly the most interesting rule is the petition for consideration, under which a bill languishing in committee could be moved to the active list (and, as such, to a floor vote) if 38 of the chamber's 62 members sign a petition asking as much. But there are two preconditions: first, the bill would have...

Elsewhere: Bloomberg Testifies, His Office Tweets, Martinez Pleads Guilty

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:07:00 -0400

What will Barack Obama say tonight at the NAACP event? A Republican blogger thinks the G.O.P. has a good shot at taking the Gillibrand seat. Taegan Goddard picks up the chatter that Al Gore’s daughter may run for Carolyn Maloney’s congressional seat. Not so, says a family spokesperson. Peter Vallone Jr.’s name is mentioned as a possible replacement for Maloney also. Board of Education member Dolores Fernandez said high school graduates are falling further behind in reading and...

M.T.A.'s Past Haunts a Panel on Its Future

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:43:00 -0400

On Wednesday evening, July 15, a day after David Paterson nominated former London transit chief Jay Walder to head the Metropolitan Transit Authority, a panel was convened at the Museum of the City of New York to discuss the future of the beleaguered agency. But much of the conversation, which was moderated by Henry Stern—a former councilman and parks commissioner who leads the museum’s Civic Talk series—centered on the past. For example: the lack...

Pork.

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:22:00 -0400

ALBANY—Here's a spreadsheet of all $85 million worth of pork the State Senate is spending this year, passed in the wee hours of this morning. Of the total, $77 million is going to Democrats and $8 million is going to Republicans. In the future, the breakdown will be two-thirds for the majority and one-third for the minority; this lopsided resolution was agreed...

A Liberal Operator Runs Against the Brooklyn Machine

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:20:00 -0400

On a recent Friday night in the backyard of Pete’s Candy Store, a neighborhood bar in Williamsburg, City Council candidate Evan Thies ate hamburgers and hot dogs with some supporters from the 33rd District’s ubiquitous kickball league. After a few beers, the crowd of 20- and 30-somethings was hushed, and Thies—looking slightly out of place in black slacks, with a white shirt and an emerald tie—stepped forward to speak. “I’m running against a machine,”...

As W.F.P. Votes to Endorse Thompson, Teachers Abstain, 32BJ Says No, ACORN Says Yes

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:54:00 -0400

The Working Families Party mayor-endorsement vote last night went to Bill Thompson. According to an interested reader, here's the vote total: 75-Thompson 34-No endorsement 9- Abstain 1- No show To get the endorsement, Thompson needed to have two-thirds of the yes/no votes cast. That means out of the 109 eligible votes last night, Thompson needed to get 72. So it was close. Despite that, this is the first endorsement that both Bloomberg and Thompson have sought that went to Thompson. The...

Morning Read, Upstate: The Coup is Over! Back to Normal Dysfunction!

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:40:00 -0400

The stalemate in the State Senate ended when renegade Democrat Pedro Espada Jr. returned to his party's conference. Espada will be the majority leader. Senator Malcolm Smith will be the chamber's president pro tem and Senator John Sampson will be the Democratic conference leader. It's unclear what duties will fall under the purview of each. This gives Espada a $41,000 stipend as well as the ability to make lots of patronage hires. It's unclear how long...

Morning Read: Thompson Gets W.F.P., Gerson Gets Swine Flu

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:24:00 -0400

Bill Thompson got the Working Families Party endorsement, giving Michael Bloomberg one of his “few political losses this year.” "[I]t would have been quite a sell out to see these folks do anything but endorse Thompson," writes Richard Lipsky. The vote was "very close," says Liz Benjamin. Bloomberg said during his radio show that he’ll “unfreeze” the hiring freeze. Bloomberg cautioned against “special interests” getting involved if there’s a constitutional convention for the state [no link]. "Our first...

With Espada's Re-Defection, Skelos Clings to Reform

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:49:00 -0400

ALBANY—Dean Skelos, the leader of the State Senate Republican conference, just threw in the towel. "I hope now that the leadership situation will be behind us," Skelos just told reporters. He hoped that Democrats would stick to the reformed rules of the chamber passed on June 8, which he insisted was the entire point of the coup that crippled the State Senate for an entire month. "It was about reform, it continues to be about reform,...

The New New Democratic Leadership Team

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:13:00 -0400

All of the purported leaders of the Democratic conference stood together to announce their leadership team at a press conference just now. They are: Pedro Esapda Jr., the chamber’s majority leader. Malcolm Smith, the chamber’s president pro tempore. A source familiar with the deal said that Smith would hold that post only until December; when asked about this, Sampson would not say either way. John Sampson, the Democratic conference leader. Jeff Klein, the deputy majority leader. Carl Kruger, chairman...

Republicans Leave as Dems Do Ordinary Senate Session; Medical Absence Leaves Them One Vote Short of Quorum

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:43:00 -0400

ALBANY—The same two-part dance played out on the chamber floor just now as in recent days: two parties, two procedures. After that happened, Republicans walked out of the chamber and into an immediate conference. But this time, double-flipping senator Pedro Espada Jr. remained alongside 30 other Democrats. (State Senator George Onorato has not yet checked in. Angelo Aponte, the Senate secretary, said he is absent to have an adjustment to his pacemaker.) "Despite some of the...

Elsewhere: Espada Returns, Paterson Tweets

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:29:00 -0400

Pedro Espada is coming back, but not in a way that a Democrat would actually have to vote for him. Daily Intel refers to him as “an unreliable and inconsistent ally.” David Paterson's campaign tweets: "Still w VP Biden, but hearing a Senate deal has been reached. Hopeful the Senate gets back to work today. The people's business awaits." Dick Ravitch officially became lieutenant governor at Peter Luger Steakhouse. Bill Cunningham says we could have an election this...

Espada's Promise

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 15:17:00 -0400

ALBANY—The four amigos walked out of the office of State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. and onto the floor of the chamber—saying little, if anything—where an extraordinary session by David Paterson has been called for 3 p.m. Republicans were there, too, and one handed me a letter that Espada, who has apparently flipped back to the Democrats, sent to his Senate colleagues. It reads in part: Several weeks ago we collectively began our historic, unprecedented journey for...

There and Back Again

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 14:56:00 -0400

The amigos just walked into the Senate chamber gallery from Pedro Espada’s office to pose for this photo. Steve Pigeon, the top operative for billionaire Tom Golisano, emerged to say that Golisano still supported Espada, who is now back with majority Senate Democrats. Espada, along with Hiram Monserrate, began the whole Senate coup by defecting to the Republicans, with the backing and active encouragement of Golisano. Democratic Senator Eric Adams had this to say about Espada's...

Source: Espada Triple-Crosses, Ending Stalemate

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:54:00 -0400

ALBANY—A Democratic state senator involved in negotiations just confirmed that State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. will be returning to that conference as co-majority leader. "I think the conference will go for it," the source said. Espada is right now standing on the balcony over the Senate chamber talking to Steve Pigeon. Espada told Fred Dicker that "Dean [Skelos] rejected an opportunity" and now he's returning to the Democrats. This would end the stalemate that has hobbled Albany...

Barron Still in Gaza

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:50:00 -0400

I just tried calling Charles Barron’s cell phone and the aide who answered it said he’s still on a humanitarian trip to deliver aide to people in Gaza. (In the video linked here, of an unreported-on speech he gave before his pretty-much-unreported-on departure, Barron is harshly critical of Barack Obama for not taking a harder line on Israel, and for authorizing the operation to rescue the captain of an American ship in which three...

Team Bloomberg and the Working Families Party

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:45:00 -0400

Tonight, the Working Families Party is meeting and could vote on a mayoral endorsement. A source there said the mayor’s people are "pushing, very very hard for an outright endorsement," believing they can win it, and not just block Bill Thompson from getting it. Bloomberg spokesman Howard Wolfson said the onus is on Thompson to win the endorsement, and he did his part to raise those expectations. "Bill Thompson ran on the WFP line in 2001 and...

Paterson, Ravitch Explain Themselves

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:43:00 -0400

ALBANY—Speaking in the ornate Red Room, which was stocked half-full of administration officials, including the commissioners of several state agencies, David Paterson appeared publicly for the first time with newly named Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch. Paterson said Ravitch was sworn in around 8:40 p.m. last night, and his oath was filed and accepted by the Secretary of State by 11 p.m., over 90 minutes before a restraining order was issued by a Nassau County judge....

Everyone Unloads on Mark Green, Again

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 12:17:00 -0400

Mark Green, the best-known candidate in the public advocate's race—and the only one who has been public advocate before—is almost at 40 percent in the polls. This would be enough for him to avoid a run-off with any of his three Democratic rivals. It is more than enough to make him the primary target of all of his opponents. Today, during a debate this morning at the CUNY Graduate Center in midtown hosted by City...

Paterson's New Lawyers

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 11:31:00 -0400

ALBANY—Democrats are attacking a court order restraining Richard Ravitch, the newly appointed lieutenant governor, saying it was obtained improperly. "We continue to want an expeditious court review; we want it to be in the appropriate court, not Nassau County in the middle of the night," Kathleen Sulivan, the former dean of Stanford Law School and the head of David Paterson's newly named legal team, said. "If you're going to try to enjoin action by public...

Winner: We Should Look at Impeaching Paterson

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:57:00 -0400

ALBANY—State Senator George Winner just suggested Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch is an impeachable offense. "I think that any time you're talking about willful violation of the constitution for political purposes, as I believe the governor is doing, I think it's a fair game to take a look at it," the Elmira Republican just told reporters. "I think the Assembly should take a look at it. This type of behavior, I think, is intolerable." Under the...

The Amigos Don't Get Paid

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 10:28:00 -0400

ALBANY—Apparently, Comptroller Tom DiNapoli made good on his word to not pay still-fighting state senators, and they're taking it as a joke. A legislative staffer picking up his paycheck sent along this account from the payroll office on Wednesday afternoon: Sen. Monserrate and Sen. Diaz strolled into the payroll office joking around and asking "where is my pay check" and (Monserrate) "why don't I get one" and laughing about it. I turned to the clerk and...

Why Ravitch Helps Paterson More Than a Settlement

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:12:00 -0400

ALBANY—Democrats in the State Senate just said they will use David Paterson's appointment of Dick Ravitch as lieutenant governor to start passing legislation, a move which will add new layers of controversy to a leadership struggle that, given the increasingly complicated legal picture, isn't getting any closer to a resolution. "I can tell the 19.5 million people: We are free, out of bondage. We're not going to be held hostage anymore," Senator John Sampson said...

Ravitch Restrained

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 09:03:00 -0400

ALBANY—Here's a court order restraining Richard Ravitch, named last night by David Paterson, from performing the duties of lieutenant governor.The order was signed by Judge Ute Wolfe Lally at 12:23 a.m. after a petition from the leaders of the Republican-dominated State Senate coalition, Pedro Espada Jr. and Dean Skelos.The order is in effect until the case can be heard in Nassau County Supreme...

Cyclists Go After John Liu Over Yassky's Bill

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 11:39:00 -0400

Tensions surfaced this week between members of the city's cycling community and Councilman John Liu over a piece of legislation—the Bicycle Access to Buildings Bill—that has yet to make it out of the City Council Transportation Committee, which Liu chairs. The bill, which was first introduced back in 2003 and has resurfaced in various incarnations since then, would require office buildings to let tenants store bikes in the buildings, hence encouraging more people to...

Weekend in Review: Albany Stagnates

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 16:03:00 -0400

Some things happened in Albany this weekend, but not much has changed. Pedro Espada Jr. finally filed campaign-finance forms, but they don't really add up at all. Gatemouth wants more choice. So does this radio host who interviewed Carolyn Maloney. The two groups Steve Pigeon runs have defied campaign-finance laws, according to the Erie County elections commissioners. The Daily News goes to hear a motivational speech from a gentler Rudy Giuliani. A blog for...

De Blasio Gets Custodians

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:15:00 -0400

The union representing school custodians has endorsed public-advocate candidate Bill de Blasio, his campaign will announce this afternoon. The president of the union, International Union of Operating Engineers Local 891, Robert Troeller, said, “Bill is unquestionably the candidate who represents the voice of the people and will make sure our government listens to everyone.” A campaign aide said the union has 930 members. The endorsement is part of long line of union...

Bloomberg on Michael Jackson

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:00:00 -0400

At the opening of a recreation center in Harlem this morning, Michael Bloomberg made his first comments about the death of Michael Jackson yesterday. Bloomberg, according to a transcript of his remarks sent by his office, said: "It is very sad. It’s very sad. He was idolized by many New Yorkers, both young and old, and like everyone, everywhere, we’re just stunned and saddened by his death. I think it’s fair to say he...

McCarthy's Bloomberg Ad

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:15:00 -0400

Carolyn McCarthy, the Democratic congresswoman from Long Island, appears in this ad the Bloomberg campaign just released. In the video, she talks about his work on gun control issues, saying it “saves lives.” She doesn’t make any direct appeal for votes, or reference the fact that he’s seeking reelection. When McCarthy's endorsement was announced earlier, the fact that she was crossing party lines was kind of a big deal. In the ad, it's barely mentioned. Neither...

Sides Agree to Produce Records, Keep Talking Out of Court

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:09:00 -0400

ALBANY—We'll have to wait until Monday, or even longer. Judge Thomas McNamara sent the dueling parties in State Senate leadership struggle back to the negotiating table—a move that has become something of a trademark for him. By my count, this is the sixth time legal action related to the case has been adjourned. After a closed, hour-long conference, the two sides also agreed to produce a transcript for the court showing the exact proceedings of June 8,...

Morning Read: Rangel's Probe, Maloney's Time, Mealy's Campaign

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:27:00 -0400

The House Ethics Committee is investigating whether Charlie Rangel and others took an inappropriate trip sponsored by Carib News. Rangel reportedly did not list the corporate sponsors of the trip, which include AT&T, HSBC, Sandals and Pfizer. The Post edit board wonders what took so long for this probe. Carolyn Maloney said, “I don’t have enough time in the day to take care of the responsibilities I have between work and family.” Chuck Schumer said Hillary Clinton “was...

Sources: Leadership Deal Has Smith and Skelos Splitting Top Jobs

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:17:00 -0400

ALBANY—Negotiations to resolve the State Senate leadership struggle include a deal that would make Malcolm Smith the chamber's president pro tempore and Dean Skelos the majority leader, sources familiar with the discussions said. Irene Liu at Capitol Confidential reported this earlier, and has more on the second level of leadership. I've heard that things are still fluid regarding the role of the much-maligned Senator Pedro Espada Jr., who currently claims the title of president pro tempore,...