Democrats in New York State Senate Appear Set to Reconcile

[brooklynite]

Source: New York Times

After years of Democratic infighting that has helped keep Republicans in control of the New York State Senate, two long-warring factions of Democratic lawmakers in Albany are on the brink of reunifying, according to five people familiar with the discussions.

At a closed-door meeting at a Manhattan steakhouse on Tuesday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo asked the two rival Democratic leaders to consider reconciling immediately, according to people in the room and people briefed on the discussion.

Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, who leads the main group of Democrats, and Senator Jeff Klein, who leads the breakaway group, the Independent Democratic Conference, appeared to tentatively agree. Ms. Stewart-Cousins asked to discuss the matter with her rank-and-file members and is expected to do so as early as Wednesday morning, before giving official approval.

The reunification would end one of the oddest political arrangements in the country, and in the history of New York State. In it, the breakaway conference, which is made up of eight Democratic state senators, has helped ensure Republican control of the State Senate.

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/04/nyregion/new-york-state-senate-democrats.html

---

If I were cynical, I might think that the pressure from Cynthia Nixon's campaign had made Gov. Cuomo feel the need to be more "pro-Democratic".

[Renew Deal]

1. Primary every single one of them anyway

Especially racist Marisol Alcantara

[brooklynite]

3. This is why I don't let emotions govern my political decisions...

You can burn cash campaigning against the IDC members to "teach them a lesson", or you can spend the same cash trying to win over the two Republican seats you need to take control of the Senate.

[Renew Deal]

4. One of the seats you need belongs to a "Democrat."

Members of the IDC have failed Democratic voters and have lost their right to represent the Democratic party in Albany. They stand with Trump and the republicans. So do their defenders and appeasers.

[cstanleytech]

7. Brook is right, the best route for long term improvement would be to focus on kicking Repugnants out

of office and once our people have that secured in the stated then move on to trying to clean up the party.

[Maven]

11. This is emotional and logical for me

What they did is a betrayal and should be punished.

But, strategically speaking, what’s to stop them from reforming their “conference” right after the primary? Or using the potential of that as leverage to stop progressive legislation? They have already shown that they are corrupt and can’t be trusted.

[brooklynite]

12. What's stopping them is the expectation that the Dems will take control in November on their own

Better to be on the winning side.

[Maven]

15. You forget that their reason for existing is to determine the winning side

Notwithstanding what the voters wanted.

No. The only thing that will really stop them is for enough of them to lose their seats that they realize the game is truly up.

And I’m glad Cuomo is feeling the heat too, frankly. He’s been playing patty-cake with this nonsense for far too long.

[crazycatlady]

14. Please go after my parents' senate district

SD-40. (Terrence Murphy)

[Maven]

8. Alcanturncoat is in my district and we WILL replace her

With Robert Jackson in September.

[brooklynite]

13. I'll believe it when I see it...

I can't remember when a Democrat who wasn't under indictment lost a NYS Primary.

[DarthDem]

2. I Think You're Right

I don't think there's any question that Cynthia Nixon's campaign caused this. And it was the main reason I wanted her to run.

So ends, I hope, one of the stupidest political arrangements in recent memory.

[Renew Deal]

5. The main reason for this is most of them are facing primaries.

[Jim Lane]

24. They've faced primaries before -- and, alas, won.

Cynthia Nixon gets at least some of the credit for Cuomo's intervention.

[Renew Deal]

25. Not in the same environment

Democrats didn't really have enough votes to control the Senate all of the time, so it was more of a pet project. The IDC has been outed as a right wing scam in the last two years. They have gotten a lot of attention. People that would support Nixon would also support the IDC.

[Jim Lane]

31. I completely don't understand your comment about Nixon.

You write, "People that would support Nixon would also support the IDC." It's the exact opposite. As others have pointed out in this thread, Cuomo has been playing footsie with the IDC for years. Nixon has attacked him over that. Did you perhaps mean that people that would support Nixon would also support action against the IDC? If so, I'd agree.

You also write, "The IDC has been outed as a right wing scam in the last two years." The IDC was outed long ago. Naturally, as the years go by, more and more people become aware of the IDC's malfeasance -- but enough was known about the IDC from its very inception that all genuine Democrats have been opposing it.

[George II]

6. I hope each one loses in a primary and we get REAL Democrats in office. What they've been....

....is not what the voters in their districts were expecting. I hope the voters are smart enough to realize that.

[beachbum bob]

9. nothing to do with the fat the turncoat democrats will lose their next relection?

need to rid ourselves of the turncoats in NY

[vi5]

10. Something tells me "reconciling"..

..means "giving them everything they want, whenever they want it."

Either way, these traitors should be primaried. I know saying that is a no-no on here, but if there's every any case that is 100% justified without question it's a blue state, with a blue governor, where a majority of the citizens of the state voted for Democrats.

[DeadLetterOffice]

21. The Blue Governor liked the IDC, though

I've always wondered if he didn't reach some agreement with the state party to keep the Traitors from being primaried. They have served an important purpose for him; should be interesting to watch how it plays now that they're back in the fold.

[vi5]

22. Oh, he totally did.

Anyone who thinks he didn't play a part in this scam is delusional.

It's pretty sad that the two worst possible 2020 Democratic presidential candidates for me (Cuomo and/or Gillibrand) both come from one of the bluest states in the country. And yes, I know "There are rural/red parts of New York" but the point still stands.

[Tarc]

16. "the pressure from Cynthia Nixon's campaign"

A gimmick, celebrity candidacy does not possess the means to pressure an actual Democratic candidate.

The Republicans are dim enough to vote for celebrities running for office, but we shouldn't be.

[brooklynite]

17. UPDATE: IDC Agrees to Dissolve

The meeting ended with Klein and Stewart-Cousins shaking hands, but was contingent upon a conference call this morning between Stewart-Cousins and her members. Sources say the mainline Democrats have agreed to accept the terms of the renewed reunification deal. Originally, it was not supposed to happen until after the special election April 24th. But the primary challenge from Cynthia Nixon against Governor Cuomo prompted him to take immediate action. There is still a long way to go before Democrats can oust Republicans from control of the State Senate and form a majority. Democrats must win both seats in the special election, then Brooklyn Democrat Simcha Felder must agree to come back into the fold, which is highly questionable. Even then, the rules of the Senate may prevent a simple change of leadership.

But all of that seems besides the point. Cuomo sensed the shift in the political winds. And realized he had to inoculate himself against this particular line of attack from Nixon, which is that the Governor blessed this arrangement of a divided party while also empowering Republicans. The question now is will that be enough for Cuomo among the activist base of the party?

Finally the Klein factor is interesting here. If he had agreed to go back late last year, he probably would have secured himself a co-leader position with Stewart-Cousins. That deal is no longer on the table. Without Cuomo’s support, he has nowhere else to go. Might as well negotiate the terms of your surrender before your options get even worse.

http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2018/04/idc-agrees-to-dissolve/

[Renew Deal]

26. It's strange that you support a primary of Cuomo

but not of the IDC.

[brooklynite]

30. I have no objection in principle...

...but I wouldn't contribute to either.

My bigger issue is choosing candidates based on emotional triggers. The first question I would ask is: are ANY of the IDC challengers viable? Unless you have evidence to the contrary, history tells me that, unless any of them are under indictment, the answer is "no".

[Renew Deal]

32. The IDC members have disqualified themselves from Democratic nomination

So it doesn't matter. Take your best shot.

[Maven]

34. Jackson is viable

And so is Zellnor Myrie.

I'm not familiar enough with the others to comment. But I think you will be surprised at just how viable these challengers are. People are paying attention to state and local races in a way they haven't for the past 8 years, and those who know are rightly pissed about the IDC con game.

[KPN]

18. Seems like this is about Cuomo saving his own butt in the face of a primary challenge.

Also seems like primary challenges are having an effect in NY. Move left or else.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong from Oregon.

[DeadLetterOffice]

20. I don't think its the primary challenge

He basically let the IDC alone when Zephyr Teachout was running a primary against him in 2014, and she was a MUCH bigger risk to him than Nixon.

Just my opinion though. Albany politics are a corrupt, fog-shrouded quagmire, it could be months or longer before anyone uncovers the real reason for his change of heart.

[brooklynite]

23. The difference is: he's looking ahead to a 2020 Presidential run...

...for which he needs a strong win, not just any victory.

[Renew Deal]

28. I agree

Though I don't think he's going far in 2020

[KPN]

29. Ah, makes sense. Thx.

[Renew Deal]

27. Cuomo has a primary in 2014

Didn't even come close to beating him with a more credible candidate.

[DeadLetterOffice]

19. I am a wee bit stunned

Andrew could have done this at any time. Fact is, he PREFERS not having a unified state government (much like his daddy did), it gives him an excuse to talk harder left and then have his initiatives fail because the Senate won't pass them. Many New Yorkers believe that the IDC had his explicit blessing; certainly he never busted their assess the way he could have (should have).

Him doing this now is... odd. He can't actually be afraid of Cynthia Nixon, nobody outside of the City takes her seriously. Seems more likely to me that it has something to do with his (delusional) Presidential aspirations.

Albany politics are incredibly corrupt. We all sort of take things with a heap of salt up here, and everyone knows Andrew is mostly looking out for himself. I kind of can't wait to see how this plays locally, and maybe in a few weeks something else will happen that makes the timing of this move make more sense.

[Me.]

33. The Entire Situation Has Been A Travesty

I'm so appalled by what the IDC has done and hope each and every one pays a price at some point