Meanwhile, up in Albany: State Supreme Justice Thomas McNarama told state senators to resolve the recent craziness by 1 P.M., or he would do it for them, warning that "I have no problem providing an answer to this question from a judicial standpoint. As a matter of public policy, you guys should work this out." Sen. Hiram Monserrate, one of two Democrats who helped trigger the Senate coup, announced that he would return to the party's caucus, although Pedro Espada, Jr.-a.k.a. "the other one"-claims that Monserrate still supports Espada's disputed leadership role. Governor Paterson "will convene an unprecedented meeting of all the chamber's purported leaders" at 3 if they blow the deadline. And the New York Observer offers up what might be the least traffic-baity photogallery in Internet history. Stay tuned!
UPDATE: 31 of the Senate Dems have agreed to a new organization chart-Espada is the lone holdout-which essentially cuts off Majority Leader Malcolm Smith's balls. Sen. John Sampson is the new "conference leader." More surely to follow.
I can't wait! His judicial decree better contain an order to have another set of keys made. Or he could order them to take the lock of the senate door until they're mature enough to use it properly. Even better, he should just order Hiram Monserrate go straight to jail.
Or he could just order that the senate assemble in its chambers to await his verdict, then release a pack of hungry jackals. Whichever party has more survivors controls the chamber until the next election.