To Spitzer: Careful What You Wish For

Sometimes when you win, you lose. Governor Spitzer will learn that the hard way if Democrats win control of the state Senate.That could happen soon. A Democratic win in today’s upstate special election would leave the Republicans with just a one-seat margin. Flipping one Republican senator to the Democratic side would give Mr. Spitzer’s party control right away. And in any event, this November’s elections — when voters have a say about all 62 Senate seats — will likely return the Senate to Democratic control for the first time since 1965.Such a seismic power shift would usher in a period of infighting, backstabbing, and dysfunction that makes Albany’s current turmoil appear genteel, collegial, and manageable.There is only so much room in the room, and in Albany parlance that means three men in the room. As governor, Mr. Spitzer has the presiding role. He’s accompanied by two veteran legislative leaders: from the Assembly, Democrat Sheldon Silver, and from the Senate, Republican Joseph Bruno.Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Bruno are in constant war, with Mr. Silver playing the alternate role of tiebreaker and agitator. As a Democrat, he’s ostensibly on Mr. Spitzer’s side. As a lawmaker, he understands the need to team up with Mr. Bruno every now and then to keep the governor’s powers in check. In present day Albany this makes Mr. Silver the most influential figure in the divided state government.If Democrats suddenly take control of the entire state government, this relatively simple paradigm will disintegrate into chaos. Everyone will have to pretend they get along because everyone will be a Democrat. Pretend cooperation is far more paralyzing than actual opposition.Mr. Spitzer had a rough first year in office. He’s now rebuilding his power base on the basis of certain political understandings — all predicated on the well-known rivalries that define the status quo. Take his overt hatred for Mr. Bruno as key example. Mr. Spitzer’s team crossed the line — even by Albany’s flexible ethical yardstick — by plotting to use the state police and Internal Revenue Service to dethrone Mr. Bruno. This was self-destructive. Mr. Spitzer’s reputation was permanently dented. Mr. Bruno’s days in charge probably will end soon anyway because voters are increasingly electing Democrats.Mr. Spitzer actually benefits from having Mr. Bruno and his rapidly aging Republican conference lurking a floor above him in the state Capitol. Political types, reporters, editorial board writers, and interested voters all know clearly that Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Bruno hate each other. This enables all of us to apply some level of understanding to Albany’s not-so-understandable behavior.The notion that a state government controlled by one party will suddenly work more efficiently is absurd. The divided control of the Assembly and Senate has set up a routine in Albany. Democrats in the Assembly and Republicans in the Senate routinely pass laws that would actually be devastating if enacted – but that their leaders understand from the get-go will never win the approval from the other chamber required to become actual laws.Some of these “one-house bills” play an important role in negotiations about everything from budget matters to ethics measures to social policies. Each chamber can stake out an extreme position that then opens the door to negotiations — leading to a compromise that generally serves the people of this state fairly well.If Democrats control both houses of the Legislature, this time-honored and well-oiled governing process will collapse. Running a one-party state could give any governor delusions of influence. Mr. Spitzer, who’s shown a particular propensity for holding the reins of government as tightly as possible, may be susceptible to such delusions. Like a horse with his own idea of where the trail should lead, the Legislature will instinctively and rigorously put up a fight.Mr. Spitzer can now fight with Mr. Bruno’s Republicans without surprising anyone or offending Albany’s longtime lawmaking traditions. But after the trouble he caused himself in the first year, Mr. Spitzer would have no margin for error in his relationship with fellow Democrats newly empowered by voters to help him run their state. Mr. Spitzer would have no choice other than to play nice with his Democratic colleagues in an atmosphere where playing nice generally leads to losing.Democrats running the Assembly and Senate could easily gang up to override Mr. Spitzer’s vetoes and generally cause him agita. That’s far more likely than Mr. Spitzer dividing the Legislature. And either of those scenarios is infinitely more likely than any fantasies of a nirvana featuring Democrats in the Assembly, Democrats, in the Senate and a Democratic governor working blissfully together.Mr. Spitzer seems to have forgotten that the evil you know is better than the evil you don’t.goldincolumn@gmail.com

To Spitzer: Careful What You Wish For

To Spitzer: Careful What You Wish For

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