11/08/2009
Espada Setting Himself Up with an Out on NY Marriage Bill?
Elizabeth Benjamin reports in the NY Daily News on a conversation she had with New York state senator Pedro Espada Jr. and a plan he floated that could plausibly derail the marriage equality vote:
"Espada suggested linking the marriage bill, which Gov. David Paterson has put on the calendar for Tuesday's session, with the farm workers' rights bill that he (and the DN) have been championing for some time.
"Sen. Pedro Espada is linking the two, and I am writing to the governor, dismayed as I am that migrant workers is not on, and I think there's probably more support for that," the majority leader told me, lapsing into that rather odd habit he has of referring to himself in the third person.For those trying to get a read on whether the marriage bill will come up for a vote Tuesday, this cannot come as good news. It seems to be that Espada is setting himself up with an out should the bill come to the floor - or, at the very least, an excuse for voting 'no'.
It's going to be touch and go on marriage until right up to the moment the Senate Democrats come into the chamber on Tuesday. In fact, it's possible they might simply gavel in and gavel out again without doing anything at all, depending on where negotiations stand.
Video of Espada, AFTER THE JUMP...
Recently...
VIDEO: Governor David Paterson Discusses Marriage Equality Bill [tr]
Espada Jr. Links Gay Marriage To Farm Workers' Rights from Elizabeth Benjamin on Vimeo.
Posted 7:00 PM EST by Andy Towle | Permalink
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Espada derailed Marriage Equality once already, and played with the status quo in the New York Senate. Does he honestly think that he can do it again, by atempting to give Senators a "way out"? He is playing Political Soccer with Marriage Equality.... Again. He must not permitted to do so. Email and Call your New York Senators NOW
Posted by: jonesmunoz | Nov 8, 2009 8:35:13 PM
He'll get away with it. NY Democrats are spineless, leaderless, and as corrupt as they come. Consider that Espada is a Democrat. Consider that Ruben Diaz, Sr. is a Democrat. Consider Hiram Monserrate is a Democrat. And they ALL are influential and against marriage equality. Throw in the power of the Archdiocese of NY and the various white, hispanic and black evangelical/pentecostal/fundamentalist leaders and their faithful flocks of bigots (who will be very motivated to defeat such a bill) and you have a recipe for a marriage-quality disaster. Also, consider that the Democrats do not have a firm majority in the NY Senate. I'm not optimistic.
Posted by: mike | Nov 9, 2009 2:18:20 PM
The Bronx Democratic Party is a corrupt bunch that has done nothing but waste, spend, and watch as the borough deteriorated since I was a child. And when one of these people is out, they have their equally brainless children take their place. It's disgusting.
I am a lifelong Democrat, but it's to the point where voting for anyone to overtake these fools is pointless.
If you aren't IN with them, you can't run. And you damn sure can't run against them. And that is a shame.
Espada and Diaz need to go. Now.
Posted by: B- | Nov 9, 2009 8:00:43 PM