Robert Harding notes that the idea of giving Carl Kruger, Ruben Diaz and Pedro Espada the full extent of what they want for the leadership deal may not be too popular with the rest of the Democratic Senators. Unpopular enough to fail a vote, in fact.

Over the course of this year, myself and Phil Anderson probably went to twenty fundraisers for the DSCC. The people there were always the same: Malcolm Smith, Diane Savino, Liz Krueger, Jeff Klein, Tom Duane. Diaz, Kruger and Espada had better things to do, apparently.

Now, follow me here just for a moment (and a note to the Gatemouthishly limited: what follows is speculation). If you've ever met, for example, Jeff Klein, do you really think he's excited about the idea of voting for Pedro Espada as Majority Leader, a job Klein was rumored to want for himself? After Klein worked his tail off, and Espada, to be charitable, rested on his primary laurels?

I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess that no, Klein isn't excited. And who could blame him?

Oh, choices. The Village Voice on the Bronx Gonzales-Espada primary:

When last in the senate, Espada picked up his chair and went and sat with the Republicans. His reward from then–GOP majority leader Joe Bruno was some $745,000 in member-item grants he was allowed to dole out to recipients of his choice. (Espada found the perfect home for the money: his own Soundview health-care centers. He was later forced to withdraw the gifts after the Times reported them.)

The Daily Politics on the SD-21 primary in Brooklyn:

[State Senator Kevin] Parker insisted he's not concerned. He accused [primary opponent Simcha] Felder of being a Republican plant.

"Simcha Felder has no interest in being in the state Senate," Parker said. "There was no way he decided to do this all by himself."

Before casting their votes on Tuesday, voters should inquire as to whether the "Democrat" on the ballot will work to pass a Democratic agenda if elected. or sell himself out to Dean Skelos. With Espada, Felder and Kendall Stewart, there's reason to doubt whether they'll vote with their professed party, or prolong the Albany stalemate between a republican Senate and a Democratic Assembly by switching sides.