Last night I went to an annual after-holidays party put on by the Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND), one of my local Democratic Clubs, at the home of one of my district leaders, Jo Anne Simon. As many of you know I am sometimes at odds with IND, a theme to keep in mind as I write this piece. But, whether untied or divided, IND always puts on a great party, with ample desserts and interesting discussions with and among politicians. I had several such interesting conversations, including a conversation with one of my favorite Congressional Representatives, Nydia Velasquez, and another conversation with two members of the New York State Legislature, Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and State Senator Daniel Squadron, which covered similar themes. The gist of both discussions was that, both in Congress and in Albany, it is clear that Democrats, because of internal dissensions, are losing ground to more unified, though numerically inferior, Republicans. And this is despite the fact that Democrats have the better plan, the better ideas, and the better message. One person, referring specifically to Albany, put it this way: the left is on the run right now.  read more »