In response to my previous article on the pros and cons of expelling Hiram Monserrate from the State Senate due to his misdemeanor conviction for reckless assault (basically abusing his girlfriend on camera), I got a response from someone closely associated with the State Senate which contradicts what I presented State Senators Eric Adams and Velmanette Montgomery and Assemblywoman Joan Millman as believing. Adams, Montgomery and Millman basically argued variations on three themes. 1.) the State Senate rules allows expulsion for felonies but is silent on misdemeanors, and thus it sets a possibly unwelcome precedent to expel Monserrate 2.) the voters should decide whether Monserrate should represent them in the senate or not, and 3.) if Monserrate is thrown out, the Republicans will likely re-paralyze the legislature and prevent anything from getting done.

In response to this, someone well-connected to the State Senate, but who wishes to stay anonymous, wrote the following in response: (altered slightly to mask style)  read more »