Monserrate Gives A Whole New Definition To "Jesus Freak"

Ah, the egos of politicians who think that they are all that and a bag of chips.

Two weeks ago when Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada jumped ship to the Republicans and put the state senate into chaos, no one knew where this was going (and we probably still don't). Yet one thing we know for sure is that the mental states of Albany's two biggest renegades is clearly alarming. Domestic abuser Republican Senator Monserrate put that on display for all to see this past weekend.

From The NY Daily News:

Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens), who briefly aligned himself with the Republicans before jumping back across the aisle to deadlock the Senate 31-31, appeared with other lawmakers at the Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network.

Speaking on Sharpton's radio show, Monserrate commented, "You know, I'm never gonna compare myself to anyone in the biblical context."

And then ... he did.

"I remember Jesus himself, when he saw that in the temple there were merchants setting up shop, [he] began to turn over a few tables along the way ... to get the people's business done right," Monserrate said.

Monserrate clearly has a few delusions when it comes to his place in the world of Albany politics, but at least Sharpton put him in his place by reminding him that even Jesus planned his resurrection out better than Monserrate (especially since he has no chance of coming back from this).

Oh and of course Espada did not stay quiet either, likening his opposition to a "jihad" and claiming that only he has the votes to be President of the senate. Thankfully though, there are cooler heads within the senate that are less than thrilled with the two traitors.

"When Hiram compared himself to Jesus, I vomited a little," snarked one lawmaker present for Monserrate's address.

And a flabbergasted Senate Democrat said "the longer [Espada] runs around the state sounding like Idi Amin, the more he's alienating Republicans, Democrats and everyone else."

Now if only we knew who those Senators were, and more importantly that they are doing something to take down Jesus and Idi Amin.

Dems Will Drink Monserrate "Lemonade" While Spilling Out The Espada

State Senator Liz Krueger puts it best when assessing the situation where the Democratic caucus got one of two senators that defected. Monserrate is most certainly a lemon as far as the Democratic party goes but having him around for now keeps Espada's plans at bay, at least for the time being. Between now and the 2010 elections, before Pedro can be defeated at the polls, the caucus has an idea for Republicans to start the business of the Senate up again.

From The Daily Politics:

The Senate Democrats are trying a new tactic in their ongoing war with their Republican colleagues, calling on them to dump Pedro Espada Jr. as temporary president and replace him with somebody else.[...]

So far today, I have received no fewer than three press releases from Senate Democrats - Klein, Liz Krueger and Dave Valesky (they're really covering the spectrum here, both geographically and ideologically) - calling for the Republicans to chuck Espada overboard. (Make that four: Sen. Craig Johnson sent one out, too, so they've got the Island covered).

This is interesting, because it almost seems like the Democrats are acknowledging that Espada is indeed president - why would he need to be bumped if he wasn't actually in the post? Klein rejected that idea, however, insisting state Supreme Court Justice Thomas McNamara's ruling did not address that point.

All the Democrats are saying is that they understand Republicans see Espada as President and if anyone wants to make any progress in negotiating a power-sharing arrangement, then Espada has to be pushed to the back of the GOP bus. Espada is a dangerous individual who has no place in the state senate to begin with, and for him to be so close to the governor's office is a disgrace to our state. Until the voters take care of him next year (or the justice system, whichever comes first) the Republicans had better keep Espada contained.

Wacky Albany Wednesday

As ridiculous as all this early June rain is in NYC, we'd have to see cats and dogs fall from the sky to keep up with Albany's pace of insane batshit craziness. Wednesday was another day of drama and childish behavior run amok on display by our state senate. While the judge has recused himself from resolving Espada, Monserrate (at least for the first few days) and Skelos' coup, the senate has become even more of a pathetic mess. Where the end of this is, nobody knows.

Espada and Skelos have been busy plotting to hold onto their usurpation of power. Needless to say, their idea is going absolutely nowhere as long as there are 31 Democratic senators. The TAP thinks the GOP overplayed their hand and since nothing legislative is being accomplished in the 11 days this has gone on, each day of this stalemate will make those responsible for the coup look even worse in the public's eye.

Newly designated conference leader John Sampson wants to go home instead of wasting the taxpayer's time and money and at least one senator has the guts to say what is really going on. One thing is for sure though, I will definitely not being voting for Pedro next year (and I'll show it on what I wear), and I encourage everyone in the East Bronx to do the same.

Then again, like Espada's former pal Hiram Monserrate, he might be indicted and be put on trial before he even gets a chance to be re-elected. DA Robert Johnson is on the trail and he's collecting evidence. Espada, being the slimy weasel that he is, claims that this is a politically motivated stunt and that because a jury let him go last time, obviously he'll be let go this time. He asked the Inspector General to look into the DA's motives, but even that guy instantly shot him down. Until then though, Espada will talk all kinds of crazy, such as the premise that he can have two votes to break the deadlock. Now that is some fuzzy math.

And now on to Thursday....I wonder if it can top Wednesday? Wait, of course it will, this is Albany folks!

CEO And Senator John Sampson, Reporting For Duty

It is just a little past three in the afternoon on Monday, but already a lot has gone on this week in Albany. Monserrate came back to the Democrats early this morning and deadlocked the institution. Attorneys for both caucuses have been told by a judge to work it out or else face his decision by 1pm 10am Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Monserrate says he's back because Majority Leader Smith is stepping back to let Senator Sampson step up, with a spiffy new title known to us as the "Conference leader," which in business-speak, according to Smith, means that Sampson will be the new CEO.

From PolitickerNY:

The members of the conference—still without defector Pedro Espada Jr.—announced State Senator John Sampson will have the new title of "conference leader," Majority Leader Malcolm Smith explained, and will handle the "day-to-day business" of the conference. Smith said the structure was similar to a board chairman and CEO, with Sampson serving as CEO. Smith, I'm hearing, is holding on by a legal technicality.

Monserrate was called a "friend" by both Sampson and Smith.

"I'm clear about the following: This conference is united," Monserrate said. He tacitly confirmed reports that his flip back into the Democratic conference had to do with differences with Espada Jr. over tenant-protection issues.

The leadership of the State Senate is still uncertain. Lawyers for both sides were due in court around the time this press conference started; the judge hearing the case has said he does not want to get involved. Spokesman Austin Shafran said Democratic lawyers plan to tell the judge that progress is being made out of court.

Having Monserrate back is an odd definition of progress. However in the New York State Senate, any direction is both backwards and upside down all in one motion. Hopefully Sampson and Smith can both "defriend" criminals once they are convicted of their crimes, or if they get primaried, whichever comes first. Sampson will now have to deal with the backstabbing Monserrate, and the rest of caucus amidst an incredibly turbulent and unpredictable time in our state's government.

Meanwhile, back in "reform coalition" land, Espada allegedly bussed in some supporters to shout down the reform advocates that had initially come up last Tuesday to lobby for good goverment issues such as independent redistricting and whatnot. Espada's people came with t-shirts that are just a bit outdated though, proclaiming that Monserrate is still on their side despite what went on today.

Ah, the dramatics of Albany...who needs soap operas when you can just tune in to state politics.

Monserrate Deadlocks The Senate

Senator Dave Valesky is one man in Albany that makes his feelings about Espada known, but how does he feel about Monserrate now? Monserrate has added another shockwave to the debacle in our state government by switching yet again, this time back to the Democratic party and thereby creating a deadlock in the Senate. The indicted Queens Senator had been hemming and hawing for a few days now about whether he should come back to the party that got him elected and apparently he made some sort of deal that leaves Pedro Espada stranded. Not only is Espada left out in the cold, but the situation effectively kills all business in the Senate. Of course, that isn't how Republicans see it.

From The NY Daily News:

First off, a judge on Monday must still rule on the legality of last week's GOP-led coup, which ousted Democrat Malcolm Smith and replaced him with Democrat Pedro EspadaJr. as Senate president and Republican Dean Skelos as majority leader.

If the court rules the coup was legal or declines to get involved, Espada and Skelos would remain as leaders of an evenly split chamber. The GOP claims that as president, Espada would actually get to cast a second vote to break any ties.

Normally that function falls to the lieutenant governor, but the state has been without one since David Paterson became governor last year upon Eliot Spitzer's resignation.

Democrats argue Espada legally can't have two votes and are looking into the possibility that Paterson is still considered the elected lieutenant governor and thus can still cast a tie-breaking vote.

What that means is that barring Espada having two votes and Paterson is given his old job back, each side will have to come together to find a way to share power so that they can do their job as Senators and pass legislation for the people of New York. It really does amaze me that amidst all this drama, the least important political actor in the process is the voter and the people at large. For the last week the only two people that have mattered are two criminals, Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate. The latter is indicted and it is only a matter of time before the former is charged for multiple counts of corruption (A.G. Cuomo is on the case).

Personally, I feel Monserrate is a toxic asset and the only way to bail this problem out is by letting the jury throw him in jail for the crimes he committed against his girlfriend. Then his Queens district can replace him with someone a bit more straight-edged. As for Espada, it is only a matter of time before his time in the spotlight is over. Come November 2010, a Democrat will be representing the 33rd district and not this slimy crook that's there now.

Some Choice Comments For Monserrate From Sen. Golden

This just has to be printed in full. The Daily Gotham got an anonymous email that clipped together statements, mostly from Republican State Senator Marty Golden, about how he feels about his new colleague, Hiram Monserrate:

''When you let people like Senator Monserrate stay in office,'' said Senator Martin Golden, a Republican from Brooklyn, ''and you do fund-raisers for them, and you pat them on the back and you say, 'Go for it!' you know, there's a disgrace, a disgust, in people across this state.'' (March 25, 2009)

Sen. Martin Golden, a Brooklyn Republican, said Monserrate should resign - and he blasted Democratic leaders for continuing to support Monserrate."If we're going to protect people that would abuse women and abuse anybody in this fashion, there is something wrong with that," he said. (March 24, 2009)

Republicans called for Monserrate's resignation and assailed Smith for not taking further action. "He's going to have to step down," said Sen. Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn. "The longer he stays, the more of a spectacle it is." "Sen. Smith's failure to take action against Sen. Monserrate in the face of this criminal indictment, just one week after hosting a fundraiser on his behalf, clearly sends the wrong message to all New Yorkers," said a statement from two Republican senators, Betty Little of Queensbury and Cathy Young of Olean. (March 24, 2009)

Sadly, I didn't catch the Bruno comments Padavan and Golden made on video. But here's some footage of them railing on Monserrate. Padavan argued that the charges against Velella were "white collar" and therefore didn't take up as much of his time to fight. Golden agreed, saying: "We're not talking about a simple crime. We're talking about three D felonies. We're talking about a serious indictment here." (March 24, 2009)

And then Golden chimed in: "He left because he suspected it. He knew that this was not going away and he wanted to deal with it. He got out of the Senate so he could deal with this issue without being, without the Senate itself being a target." (March 24, 2009)

Sen. Martin Golden (R-Brooklyn) pushed a resolution calling on the newly Democratic-controlled Senate to keep Hiram Monserrate (D-East Elmhurst) - charged with slashing his girlfriend - from being seated before the swearing-in. In 1999 Monserrate, saying he suffered from psychological disorders, quit the NYPD after 11 years, it has been reported. Golden told Newsday that Monserrate's being a former cop had "absolutely nothing" to do with the case. "Domestic violence is a dirty secret throughout society that's been swept under the rug," he said. "Hopefully the courts will deal with this ... If he's guilty he should suffer the consequences." (January 12, 2009)

At the time, Mr. Golden, a Brooklyn Republican, was talking to a group of reporters about why he felt Mr. Monserrate should be turned away. ''I don't think he should be seated,'' Mr. Golden said as Mr. Monserrate approached him and extended his hand, apparently taking Mr. Golden by surprise. The two men shook hands and exchanged brief pleasantries. (January 8, 2009)

Afterward, Golden said he still felt Monserrate was a "ticking time bomb." "It's a pretty significant charge when you break a glass in a woman's face," said Golden, who, like Monserrate, is a former city cop. "To have that hanging over your head and sitting in this body takes this body down a little bit of a notch." (January 8, 2009)

Golden told The Associated Press that the Queens Democrat should have been kept out of the seat Wednesday, and that the pending criminal case involved "an absolutely horrendous assault on a woman." "It definitely takes the institution down and we don't need that," Golden said. (January 7, 2009)

Brooklyn Republican Sen. Martin Golden, a former police officer, said Wednesday he will continue trying to remove Monserrate for what Golden called "an absolutely horrendous assault on a woman." "It definitely takes the institution down and we don't need that," Golden said. "This obviously takes us down a couple of notches." (January 7, 2009)

Now Mr. Monserrate is in Golden's caucus, whether he calls it a "coalition government" or not. Espada, Monserrate and Skelos can play semantics all they want but for all intensive purposes Monserrate has cast his lot with thirty Republicans and whatever you want to call Espada. Of course, Golden has no problems sticking with his comments (but don't expect any new ones), since Monserrate will be kicked out if and when he is convicted for slashing his girlfriend with a broken glass. Still, for Golden (and the rest of the GOP) to even tolerate bringing two criminals into their caucus is revolting. Of course speaking as a Democrat, I'm glad they're off our hands now, so we can finally get real representation for those parts of the Bronx and Queens.

The Days Are Numbered For Espada And Monserrate

The large amount of pressing legislation for the Senate to consider this month had enough trouble to contend with at the beginning of the day yesterday. Once the day was out, most of those and bills, and the Democratic agenda was thrown out the window.

I was busy with getting ready for the petitioning process here in NYC during the mid-afternoon hours yesterday and intermittently checked the news. When I clicked the refresh button to read about the coup in the Senate, (or possibly the attempted coup) I felt as shocked and disgusted as I did when Spitzer's prostitution scandal went public, if not more so. What Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada concocted to stab our democratic institution in the back was far worse than what any hooker could ever do. Seeing those self-serving disgraces masquerading as public servants flipping to the Republican side was absolutely horrific.

I'm mad as hell, but now, as Roatti said, we'll get even with the two crooks and the Republican leadership for this ridiculous and unethical action. Espada can claim that he has a "coalition government," but anyone with with a few working synapses in their brains can tell what this is about. Monserrate and Espada, especially Espada wanted power in the worst way and they screwed over New Yorkers that voted for change in last year's election. All the reforms that could have been are over with for now. Instead, we who are interested in true change for Albany must work to rid ourselves of Espada and Monserrate. It is likely that all we'll need is to find a replacement for Monserrate, certainly if that videotape the police claim they have will convict him of beating his girlfriend.

So now the thief and the thug have their moment in the sun, but as most turncoats do not last long once they've flipped, those two will be gone before long.

Speaking of gone, and looking for a silver lining in all of this (trust me, it's hard) I can't help but think that Malcolm Smith will never get his Majority Leader spot once the Democrats take back control in 2010. If Smith had any principles, he would have held the high ground against the Gang of Four at the end of 2008 and made the "amigos" play their hand then. Espada, Monserrate, Kruger and Diaz were not to be trusted then, there was no reason to believe that they'd act like Democratic senators on a mere handshake.

Monserrate Is Right, The Truth Will Prevail

Finally after a few months, a grand jury indicted Senator Hiram Monserrate yesterday for five separate counts of assault (three in the second degree, two in the third degree). Monserrate and his girlfriend, after initially confusing their stories has been consistent on pleading his innocence. The Senator is so confident in that innocence, that he is determined to see the truth prevail in court. I for one, cannot wait to see that truth.

From PolitickerNY:

"The reality is that from the very beginning, I said this was an accident. My girlfriend said this was an accident, and we look forward to the dismissal of these charges based on the truth. Thank you very much," he said.

I asked whether he intended, then, to let the truth come out in court, rejecting any potential plea agreements in the matter.

"We are fully prepared to see that the truth prevails and we look forward to the dismissal of these charges based on the truth. I'm here doing the good work of my constituents, I will continue to do so, and I expect to be doing it for many more years."

What works for his constituents is for justice to be served. As an indicted man, Monserrate should have the decency to step down from the Senate, if only temporarily until the trial is over. The truth will prevail in this case Mr. Monserrate, no matter how badly Ms. Giraldo suffers from battered wife syndrome.

Oh and then there was this:

Monserrate had been sitting with colleague and fellow gang-of-four member Ruben Diaz Sr., who jumped in front of the camera to ask why, if both Monserrate and his girlfriend said it was an accident, the incident was being prosecuted. He asked why it was different than the case against Lehman Brothers bankruptcy Judge James Peck.

"Why are we dropping the charges against the white judge, but not the Hispanic politician?" he asked. Robin asked if reported surveillance tapes might have something to do with it.

Oh so now it's a racial issue as well. Monserrate's buddy is ready to pull out all the stops to sow doubt in the judicial process. Planting those racial remarks in the press has nothing to do with his case and everything to do with misleading the public on what this trial is about. I can't speak for the case against Peck, but the law has a responsibility to deal with abusive boyfriends, even if they are state senators.

$15,000 Isn't Enough To Save Monserrate

Campaign finance reports have shown that Senator (ugh) Hiram Monserrate has spent $15,000 with a reputation management firm. It took him a while to file the reports (which aren't finished either), possibly to let this nugget of information slip out a little later, once the spotlight was off of him a bit more.

From PolitickerNY:

ALBANY—State Senator Hiram Monserrate brought his elections filings up to date, and records show he paid $15,000 to a reputation management firm two weeks after he was accused of assaulting his girlfriend.

Monserrate's January filings show his campaign committee paid $15,000 to Dolce Goldin, the home firm of former Inside City Hall host Davidson Goldin.

"Like most elected officials, I receive, from time to time, advice from media consultants," Monserrate said when asked if the payment was for services rendered related to the alleged assault. (Monserrate has pleaded not guilty and his accuser has publicly changed her story.) "It's all part of what we do, and that's what I contracted them for.

Paying a reputation management firm to do what? I thought being found innocent of those (alleged) crimes was supposed to be good enough. Perhaps he was having so much trouble keeping his stories straight, that he hired someone to do it for him with the ability to try and make it seem plausible.

Another Problem For Monserrate

As if Senator (ugh) Hiram Monserrate didn't have enough on his legal plate already, his campaign team forgot to send in financial statement to the Board of Elections. Of course this is a small problem in relation to his domestic abuse charges. He can probably get away with pulling a Pedro Espada, though Pedro's case is far worse in this regard. Anyways, here's what happened.

From The Daily Politics:

Perhaps he was distracted by his legal problems, but state Sen, Hiram Monserrate has not yet filed his January periodic financial statement with the State Board of Elections. The statement was due at the board on Jan. 15.

Reached by telephone today, Wayne Mahlke, Monserrate’s deputy chief of staff, said he was unaware that the statement had not been filed and promised that it would be within a week. He could not offer an explanation as to why it was late.

Robert Brehm, a spokesman for the state Board of Elections, said board officials usually give candidates at least five days before they send warning a letter about statements that have not yet been filed.

So he could see some fines if Mahlke doesn't deliver on his promise, but again, this is the least of his worries. Once his domestic violence case goes to trial, then we'll really get to see some change in Hiram's district, with him being replaced in the Senate and sent to jail for his (alleged) crime.

Another Damning Yet Sad Update On Hiram Monserrate

The longer that this saga is allowed to unfold, the more depressing it gets. Monserrate's story hasn't changed since yesterday, but the evidence has. Nothing helps to confirm his story, but everything points to a girlfriend that is trying to protect an abusive partner that reads right out of a social worker's handbook.

From The NY Daily News:

Hiram Monserrate's girlfriend wants prosecutors to drop assault charges against the embattled Queens pol, despite telling cops last week that he slashed her in a jealous rage, law enforcement sources said yesterday.

Karla Giraldo told cops Monserrate cut her face with a broken drinking glass after he discovered she had another man's police union card in her purse, sources said.

Monserrate, a former cop, demanded to know more about the other man and why Giraldo accepted his Patrolmen's Benevolent Association card, a perk usually given to close friends or family, sources said.

"He was jealous. It was in her purse. He didn't like her explanations, and it got nasty," a law enforcement source said.

Noticeably her stories do not match up, and all the psychological schooling says the former is most likely correct. Further, the video surveillance that the cops recovered showing Monserrate pulling Giraldo by her hair on the way to the hospital is rather debilitating to Monserrate's claims of innocence. I truly hope Giraldo does not sway prosecutors, because if he is allowed to get away with this act of violence, it is only a matter of time until he attacks next.

With Shifty Monserrate, It Is Time For Smith To Take A Stand

The aftermath of what happened early Friday morning between Karla Giraldo and her abusive boyfriend Hiram Monserrate is nothing short of a textbook case of domestic violence that could easily be transcribed and put on Lifetime. The facts of the case are tragic and even more so that Ms. Giraldo stopped working with investigators after she had been treated at Long Island Jewish Hospital.

At first Monserrate claimed that tripping and falling caused Ms. Giraldo to suffer a bruised eye and severely lacerated face. Now he has his friends circulating news that Giraldo had a drug problem and that he was trying to take the drugs in her purse away (despite none being found on her by police that night).

From The NY Daily News:

Sources say Monserrate backers have told people the outgoing city councilman was upset to discover drugs in girlfriend Karla Giraldo's purse after they attended the Queens Democratic Party's holiday dinner on Thursday.

"He has been making calls and saying, 'It's not what you hear; I'm innocent,'" one state Senate Democrat reported.

"The story his people are spinning now is that [Giraldo] had drugs in her purse and he tried to take them away from her and there was a struggle."

How sad is that he is now blaming the victim for all of this. While Monserrate exhibits the typical "bastard" behavior for a man that beats up women, there is another man in the picture that needs to stand up and be a leader in all of this.

The next probable Majority Leader, Malcolm Smith has so far played it safe with this news. As the article states, while Monserrate was making calls to various State Senators to proclaim his innocence, so was Smith in order to get people to not immediately castigate the Senator-Elect. That type of position is not surprising coming from Smith, but it is still far different from the man that just recently said he'd rather let the Republicans have power so that "we would rather wait to take charge of the Senate than to serve the interest of a few."

Well Smith, are you trying to serve your self-interest in taking the Majority Leader position now by making excuses for the legal interests of Mr. Monserrate?

No Time For Lame Excuses Mr. Monserrate

Calling this guy Councilman or even Senator-Elect just seems wrong at this point. Hiram Monserrate may be innocent until proven guilty, as we are all entitled to but when you have an aggregation of facts it is hard to ignore what will most likely become of this domestic dispute, this violence, this criminal behavior. Monserrate could just come clean and apologize for his actions, but no, he has to be the greedy politician he is and do whatever it takes to escape blame.

From The NY Times:

At Mr. Monserrate’s arraignment in Queens Criminal Court on Friday evening, the assistant district attorney, Scott Kessler, said that Mr. Monserrate told the police he was bringing his companion, Karla Giraldo, 30, a glass of water and leaned over and tripped, and the glass hit her. But the prosecutor said that Ms. Giraldo later said that the couple had a “loud and boisterous” argument about an item he found in her purse. He was holding a glass, which broke in his hand, she told officers.

“Then, in emotion, he stabbed her,” Mr. Kessler said.

He said Ms. Giraldo was now saying that it was an accident and that she did not want an order of protection. Mr. Kessler noted that that was common in domestic violence cases.

I feel terrible that Mr. Monserrate's actions (this week's episode most likely not being the first) have led Ms. Giraldo to try and protect this monster. Thankfully the legal system can step in here and prosecutors can suss out the facts, so that in the end, whether or Councilman, Senator or not, Hiram will pay for his crimes in full (and hopefully for this one too).

Monserrate Makes Me Sick

This is an awful story to hear around this time of the year, or any time of the year really. Councilman and soon to be Senator Hiram Monserrate is already known to be ethically challenged with his dealings in the Gang of Four. Now it turns out that he's also a criminal of the worst sort (aaaallegedly).

From The Daily Politics:

Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate was arrested early this morning after he brought a woman believed to be his girlfriend to Long Island Jewish Hospital with severe lacerations on her face that will require multiple sitches to close, sources confirmed.

Monserrate and his girlfriend arrived at the hospital at approximately 4:30 a.m. where he was detained for questioning and subsequently arrested, according to an NYPD source. The incident occurred at an apartment at 37-20 83rd St. in Jackson Heights, Queens.

Monserrate was charged with assault one.

I hope that his (hopefully now ex-) girlfriend presses charges and authorities prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law. This man excuse for a human being (yes, allegedly) is a coward, a criminal and needs to be booted from the State Senate before he even gets there.

Monserrate Makes A Deal, Gang Four Reduced To Three

What was once a formidable challenge to Malcolm Smith's bid to be Majority Leader is not as threatening. Hiram Monserrate was in the "Gang of Four" but has decided to skip out by cutting a deal with Smith. Not only will he not be flirting with the GOP, he'll be voting for Smith when the vote for Majority Leader comes around.

From The Daily Politics:

Senator-elect Hiram Monserrate and Senate Majority Leader-in-Waiting Malcolm Smith are poised to announce that the incoming lawmaker will support his fellow Queens Democrat for leader, sources confirm. He is the first member of the gang to formally endorse Smith.

The deal was sealed late last night here in San Juan, according to the sources, who are both in Puerto Rico and back home in Albany and have been briefed on the details of the agreement.

"He was losing leverage by the hour; there wasn't much more than he could extract," one source said.

In exchange for his support, Monserrate will be tapped to head the Consumer Affairs Committee and also chair the new Latino caucus that Smith pledged to create in an effort to woo the three Hispanic Gang of Four members who felt their community has long been under-represented and under-appreciated by the Senate Democrats.

Liz notes that it would have been risky for Hiram to continue down that road of "independence," especially since his district is heavily Democratic. Espada, Diaz and Kruger however are still out on their own, trying desperately to win something by thinking of caucusing with the Republicans. Of course, as Philip notes it would be best if they cut a deal with their own party and put this dangerous game to rest. Time will tell if the Gang of Four Three will come to their senses.

Term Limit Update, The People Are Starting To Get It

The latest polling of the city shows that as more and more of us read about what exactly the Mayor is trying to do, the more they disapprove of it. While Mayor Bloomberg has decent numbers, a change of the term limits law by referenda is supported by more than nine to one. Furthermore, it seems that many people still support term limits because they have done some good for us and allowed for more people to run for office. Bloomberg and his minions say that it this legislative decree would give us more choice. Yet with his money and the power of incumbency as it is, there really isn't much choice for our polity. Thankfully one more Council member saw that and cast his lot with the people yesterday.

From The NY Daily News:

Councilman/Senator-in-waiting Hiram Monserrate publicly declared his opposition to Mayor Bloomberg's term limits extension bill this afternoon, bringing the "no" tally to 20.

Not a huge surprise here. There isn't all that much Monserrate, a short-timer on the Council, might want (except maybe something Willetts Point-related, which apparently is more than the mayor is willing to give) since he's got a near-lock on the Queens Senate seat that once belonged to John Sabini.

UPDATE: A Queens observer points out that Monserrate, while he has a historiy as an outspoken independent, was under intense pressure from the Bloomberg administration, which enlisted the assistance of the borough's Democratic chairman, Rep. Joe Crowley.

Congratulations to Hiram for making the right choice. Now we just need six more votes, so find out where your Council member stands and tell them it's our decision to make, not a chance to use a flawed charter to circumvent the people's will.