Today's big news is obviously the decision by Empire State Pride Agenda to throw its considerable weight behind the Senate Democrats' efforts to retake the state Senate in 2008. This is part of a larger realization on the part of Progressives that, if we ever want to make progress in this state, Joe Bruno and the obstructionist Senate republicans need to be disempowered.

Gay City News:

With more than a year to go before New Yorkers return to the polls to vote on legislative candidates seeking office in Albany, the Empire State Pride Agenda (ESPA) has already directed upwards of $300,000 to the effort to shift control of the State Senate to Democratic hands.

The marriage equality bill that Governor Eliot Spitzer introduced in late April won approval in the overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly in June, and GOP leadership of the Senate is viewed by ESPA as the remaining obstacle to full relationship parity for gay and lesbian couples in New York State.

This is good stuff, and further evidence that a broad coalition is coming together for this purpose. Needless to say, this is also what's at the root of the current posturing emanating from Albany on everything from the non-scandal about Joe Bruno's misuse of state aircraft to the drivers license imbroglio. Say what you will about Joe Bruno, and God alone knows there's much to be said, but one thing you won't be able to take away from him: he's a streetfighter.

What's curious about ESPA's decision is that it seems to have been taken without much regard to the various less than gay-friendly stances taken by individual Senators and their campaign committee, the DSCC.