Oh my holy god, here we go again. No, not the U.S. Senate, the New York State Senate are considering a deal that includes Espada as one of the leaders of the institution. With more than two weeks behind us since this mess began, Espada has become more unstable and dangerous with his actions and comments. Last week his power began waning with Monserrate's re-defection and claims of having two votes were received with chuckles, not respect. So for the Democratic caucus to consider letting him in on a power-sharing deal is ridiculous.
Yet they are doing it:
ALBANY—After singling him out for attack last week, Democrats are saying that they would be open to a power-sharing arrangement that prominently involves Pedro Espada Jr.
They emerged from a closed-door strategy session to announce that they were seeking to postpone the special session David Paterson has called for tomorrow.
Senator Jeff Klein said that conversations were ongoing toward some kind of a bipartisan operating agreement for the chamber. "Well, if one day we have John Sampson, the other day we have Pedro Espada, I think that's an agreement we could live with," Klein told reporters. "The Senate Democrats have been proposing this power-sharing for a week."
In the post Senator Liz Krueger stood firm with her opposition to him as President Pro-Tem, but she would conference with him while he was still in the Senate. What that means exactly, no one outside the Senate knows. Perhaps he could get a committee he likes (though the one he has now is to his liking) or some other important role. Regardless, what the Dems should be doing is working to marginalize and eliminate his presence from Albany, not help to elevate him based on his wholly unethical political behavior.
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