Wow. Dick Ravitch reports for work, the four amigos coalesce and Pedro re-flips. Luck or design by Paterson/Ravitch? I suppose it doesn't really matter. Besides, luck trumps design any day.  Although evidently grudge trumps all, at least to these two.

Of course, this is good news for Senate Dems because they could begin passing important legislation.  That the conference is still an IED is an issue for another day.  Anything patched together with Pedro Espada's nihilistic self-interest--or that of Kruger, Monserrate and Diaz--is explosive. By definition.

And that their first communication as the new Majority appears to have been a birthday serenade isn't encouraging. These guys still don't seem to get it. I mean, go into conference, do anything, but don't play Romper Room in front of the media while the state burns--and has been for the past month. They can't manage a nano-moment of gravitas for the cameras? Or maybe work on getting their 32 members into the chamber instead of singing?

Then the Senate Dems put the principal agent of Tom Golisano--who precipitated the whole thing on behalf of the GOP--on their payroll.   'Surreal' doesn't even begin to describe this. 'Bizarre' can't either. This is like Hitler defecting to Russia and then telling Stalin to can Zhukov and hire Rommel to fight the German army because democracy needs to be protected.  

Moreover, what does that move say to Shelly Silver and the Assembly Dems? That Golisano's gonna launch his jihad against them from the Democratic side of the Senate chamber now?  With new Senate Majority leader Espada as the point person?

Maybe the Senate Democratic conference acts dangerously flippant and feckless because it is dangerously flippant and feckless. And this is exactly how it will continue to approach life.  Because if getting ripped asunder by a narcissistic billionaire and spending thirty days in the trash can doesn't change this, absolutely nothing will.   But I suppose nothing demonstrates this more than the narcissistic billionaire switching sides on himself--still in the name of reform.