An overlooked nugget in the reporting on Charlie Rangel's speech to the New York Congressional delegation about Spitzer's budget is this:

Mrs. Clinton, according to people who were in attendance, did not take sides. But she did joke that if the matter could not be settled now, she would “fix it” in 2009.

That's from the 'I may have just gotten re-elected to one job, but don't expect me to actually work for you while I'm angling for my promotion' doctrine. You may recognize it from last year's race in the Eleventh Congressional District, specifically the Yassky and Clarke candidacies. Both of these jumped out of the gate within days of their re-election to a four-year term in the City Council in November 2005. It's quite normal, expected even, for New York politicians to royally shaft their existing constituents as they work for that advancement their shining talents so richly deserve. You poor creature are just a voter, and guess what: you don't really matter so much to the caste of your professional overlords. Now spread 'em; there, that's a good little peon. It may be uncomfortable, but you can certainly vote for Hillary in that position, you know; perhaps more easily so, even.

A variant on this principle is currently playing out in the 40th City Council District, where the Clarkes, mother and daughter, found and backed some pitiable schmuck, a 'doctor' who has never practiced medicine in this country and did not even have the simple, baseline good sense to establish the in-district residency required to take office. The end result is that there's now the need for a new election – no, thank you, Una. We liked the first one so much we're all just thrilled at the repeat – twice the cost, sure, but twice the fun, too.

Last night was this month's Independent Neighborhood Democrats (IND) meeting. For the record, as of last night I am now a member of IND's executive board. Despite my rather rocky relationship with the IND executive board during 2006, they have welcomed me warmly.

I will write in some detail about the main event of last night's meeting, a great talk by former Congresswoman from Brooklyn, Liz Holtzman, about impeaching Bush, later. But first I want to give a slightly different viewpoint on the Di Napoli brouhaha than has been presented here. Now I don't really disagree with the assessment of my fellow Daily Gothamers about the dysfunction of our state legislature or the fact that Di Napoli was not the best choice and that Shelly Silver needs a good slap across the face or kick in the behind. But there is another side of it other than Spitzer's side. And my own Assemblywoman, Joan Millman, gave us that Assembly viewpoint last night.

Joan Millman is a good, solid reformer. And I think no one is happier than her that Spitzer is our Governor. But she described Spitzer's behavior regarding the Comptroller situation as being heavy handed and the Assembly's actions as being a rebellion against a heavy handed insult.

"You don't need to be smart to be President."
- J.C. Watts, R-OK, referring to George Bush, quoted by the Washington Post, 06.11.2000

...and...

“Everybody likes Tom DiNapoli,” one of his supporters said during the vote. Mr. Silver argued that Mr. DiNapoli was the most qualified, “based on his demeanor, integrity and ability to get along with people, staff and others.”
- The New York Times, 02.08.2007

Check out Merriam-Websters definition of dysfunction.

The Albany Times-Union, lead editorial, titled 'The legislature's gall':

Take that, New Yorkers.

It's what the state Legislature -- and, most insidiously, the dominant bloc known as the Assembly Democrats -- thinks is best that matters. It's what they want, mainly political reward and advancement for themselves, that comes before the public interest.

The most recent, and particularly egregious, example of that came Wednesday afternoon as Speaker Sheldon Silver of Manhattan and the rest of the Assembly Democrats saw to it that the Legislature would select one of their own, Thomas DiNapoli of Nassau County, as the state comptroller. So went a sneering rejection, not only of three recommended, and much better-qualified, candidates from outside the Legislature, but also of the very process that Mr. Silver agreed to less than a month ago and now declares was flawed.

The Daily News, lead editorial, titled 'Stunning lack of integrity':

Nothing good will come of this for the leaders - particularly for Silver, who directed a charade screening process - and the worst awaits DiNapoli. He is now the poster boy for Albany dysfunction and bears the stigma of being a third-stringer who doesn't belong in the job.

The voters, so fed up with the capital's sloth and sleaze, will remember when the time comes that DiNapoli is not their man. That he is Silver's creation, the guy who had the backing of party bosses because they felt they could work with him, the man in a small job who took advantage of a rigged process to become someone big. The someone who got sole custody of the pension fund money, though his financial acumen ends with balancing the family checkbook. A pox on him. A pox on them.

The legislature is engaging in brinkmanship over the choice of the new Comptroller.

Let's review: Eliot Spitzer was elected in November with 69% of the vote. The freshly elected governor and the legislature agreed on a procedure to select a new Comptroller to replace Alan Hevesi. Now, Speaker Silver is threatening to ignore that procedure and install his own choice.

This because, presumably, elections don't matter in the Albany Sewer.

Or because, presumably, what the voters demanded in November wasn't change or anything so upsetting as that. No, we voted to prolong the process games and feudal legislative fiefdoms that got us in trouble in the first place. We voted, I guess, to extend further the system of three men in a room. We voted for cronyism, because overall, it seems, we're happy with the way things are done.

DEM, IND, WOR
Alan Hevesi
Incumbent, Campaign Website: http://www.alanhevesi.com

REP, CON
J. Christopher Callaghan (R, C),
Campaign Website: http://www.callaghanfornewyork.com

GRE
Julia Willebrand

LBT
John J. Cain

SWP
Willie Cotton