Détente?
The big talked-about piece of the day, even at this early hour, is clearly The New York Times depiction of what it calls Détente in Albany, between a mild-mannered Governor Paterson and an ebullient Joe Bruno.
The shift is noticeable in many ways. Mr. Paterson waved through pork-barrel spending bills that provided $350 million apiece to Mr. Bruno’s Senate and to Assembly Democrats. Mr. Paterson’s predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, held up the legislation for months. Mr. Paterson has also abandoned Mr. Spitzer’s insistence that Republicans agree to legislation limiting campaign contributions.
He consults regularly with Mr. Bruno, whom Mr. Spitzer had stopped speaking to altogether, visiting his office to chat about legislation and talking on the telephone with him several times a week.
In doing so, Mr. Paterson has changed the tone in the capital from one of combat and animosity to one that is joshing and affectionate, a marked shift from Mr. Spitzer’s rough-and-tumble approach in trying to overhaul one of the nation’s most reform-resistant statehouses.
That's roughly as naked a description of Senate republicans' raison d'être as you're ever likely to encounter in a family newspaper. Give them their member items, and you'll be surprised how quickly the rancor quiets down.
There are several kinds of conflicts in politics, one substantive, one ideological, one personal. What we saw in the Spitzer era was a conflict of ideology and substance, between the crusading and abrasive governor, transformed in the funhouse lens of the media into a simple conflict of personality.
That funhouse view of things shouldn't distract from the real and substantive hurdle republican control of the Senate presents to the enactment of any agenda in this state. A good personal relationship between Bruno and Paterson has at least the redeeming grace of removing the temptation to write tabloid stories instead of, like, about the glaring contrasts in the underlying issues agenda.
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Albany Dysfunction | David Paterson | Joe Bruno
Dream on
There is a difference between détente and appeasement. Also, there is a third player in this game. I'll take the second part first.
As the Times pointed out, a lot of pork went to "Assembly Democrats" as well -- and that means Sheldon Silver. Over the past year, while Spitzer sputtered, Silver and Bruno got pretty chummy. They are running things in Albany now, and Paterson knows it. Both Silver and Bruno have power bases, while Paterson, doesn't. Additionally, when Silver and Bruno work together there isn't much any governor can do. That's how the budget got passed. (If you don't think Silver works with Bruno, ask him what he's done over the years to get Democrats elected to the state Senate.)
As regards détente vs. appeasement, I think the new governor realized his currently weak position, and felt he had no choice but to go along with the Silver/Bruno axis (I'm just loaded with WWII allusions today). As a result, we got a "budget" that is bloated, unreasonable, indefensible, and subject to serious change long before the fiscal year is out. The question is, where does he go from here? Every day he is in office, people get more used to the idea of "Governor Paterson," and his ability to get his way increases. How soon does he start throwing his weight around?
If he calls the legislature into session this fall to make the budget cuts a deteriorating economy requires, then yes, his work with Bruno can be called détente. Otherwise...