Can NYS Senate R's legally dictate the leadership of the opposition (our) party?

[clear eye]

The deal that enabled the Republicans to woo Democratic Sens. Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate to their side in today's coup has been months in the making and will result in an unusual degree of power-sharing in the chamber, according to one insider with knowledge of the deal.

Assuming it all holds - and that isn't a foregone conclusion (I smell a major lawsuit) - here's what we know:

Aside from Democratic Senate President Pedro Espada Jr., shown here being sworn in to his new leadership post along with Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos in the wake of the coup, there will be as many as 10 Democrats who get committee chairmanships.

By making Espada the Dem Senate President and choosing Democratic committee chairs, isn't that what they're doing?


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/dailypolitics/2009/06/true-power-sharing-in-senate.html#ixzz0I4i5DIPl&C

[clear eye]

1. OK, I called the head of NYPIRG, attorney & lobbyist Blair Horner

and he told me that as the NYS Senate truly goes by winner-take-all under the NYS Constitution--the majority party appoints the Senate President and the committee chairs--that they can appoint whomever they wish. The situation is not so much like the U.S. Senate in which being the senior member of the majority party in a committee dictates getting the chair, as it is like, say the POTUS appointing whom he/she wishes to the cabinet. If the majority party wishes to reach across the aisle to appoint someone from the opposition they have the only say on who that person is, even if it elevates a member of the opposition party to a high level of power against the preference of that party's leadership. And in this bizarre case elevates NY Sen. Espada to the Senate Presidency.

It appears that the legality of the Republicans plus two meeting that held the election is about to be contended by the NYS Democratic Committee.

More in following threads.

[Historic NY]

2. A circus act. the entire Albany show must go...thats both parties.

[kali3]

3. just pork and patronage

There are no Republicans or Democrats in the NY State Senate. Just a bunch of gangs fighting for pork and patronage. It's a joke and the ideological rules every where else don't apply in NY.

Believe it or not the Republicans would have been happy to vote for and pass the gay marrige bill if liberal Democrat Senator Tom Duane switched sides and gave the Republicans control.

Democrats refuse to bring it to a vote to keep the Senate and put a crook like Espanda in charge as majority leader so they can get the member items and pork for themselves.

It's a joke!