Rumors Of A Resignation, Aftermath of An Expulsion
Only in Albany. This past Friday the New York blogosphere was abuzz with bombshell rumors that Governor David Paterson was about to resign, amid a sex scandal, mirroring his predecessor’s fall from grace — and office. On Monday the resignation still hadn’t happened, but the ante had been “upped” to a sex and drug scandal. Still, the Governor has only acknowledged the existence of a New York Times article that’s reportedly ready to roll, although it hasn’t.
So, perhaps to fill the anticipated bombshell void, the New York State Senate decided after years of abusing New Yorkers, and acting in a most selfish and despicably narcissistic manner, they would actually do one good thing: last night they voted to expel Senator Hiram Monserrate.
The now-former-Senator Monserrate was convicted of assaulting his girlfriend in 2008. As the story goes, they got into an argument, he slashed her face with a broken bottle, then dragged her by her hair through the lobby of his apartment building — caught on tape — and drove her way out of the way to a hospital not in his district — so no one would recognize him.
Monserrate earned the special hatred of New York voters this summer when he became one of two Democratic senators who shifted their allegiance — and the majority — to the Republicans, creating a standoff that lasted over a month, during which no business was actually accomplished, and costing New York City $600 million. (To be fair, and balanced, the Senate a few times tried to convene, and passed some bills, but due to their poor understanding of parliamentary procedural issues, all their work became null and void.)
Then, to further himself with his adoring public, who by this point were really hoping his conviction would have been at the felony level, thereby requiring his expulsion, Monserrate, who had supported a same-sex marriage bill, after being financially supported by the LGBTQ community, actually had the temerity to vote against it. He became one of the most hated men in New York Senate history: one of the “Hate 38.” And the gays didn’t much care for him, either.
But wait, there’s more!
As we said, only in Albany.
Governor Paterson, despite rumors of the state police being banned from the Governor’s Mansion after discovering the Governor with a woman — not his wife — in a broom closet, has insisted he still will run for election in the fall. In fact, to prove his virtue, he appeared on shock-jock Don Imus’s show this morning. Nothing like hanging out with someone whose own record is so controversial (“nappy-headed hos” comment for starters)Â to make you look like an angel. Or, at least, not quite as bad as the public may be thinking you are.
Paterson has announced that he will announce his bid for the governorship on February 24, despite rumors of “womanizing,” drug-use, and — the one part most news outlets have forgotten to mention over the past week: the governor is possibly the least-popular governor in New York State history. The rumors of inappropriate behavior actually are helping him, as they’re taking the focus away from the fact that he’s doing a terrible job and the state’s in financial crisis. Oh, and that the public just doesn’t like him.
As we said, only in Albany.
To replace now-former-Senator Monserrate (I do like saying that,) Governor Paterson announced that a special election will be held March 16. Despite his conviction and subsequent expulsion from the Senate, guess who has vowed to run for his former senate seat?
Now-former-Senator Hiram Monserrate.
Only in Albany.