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The State Capitol is a Self-Proclaimed Loony Bin


By

Sabrina Jaszi

Published Mar 6, 2010

Modified Mar 6, 2010


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Photo composite of Paterson bobblehead in flames by Mihir Kelkar

 


By

Sabrina Jaszi

Published Mar 6, 2010

Modified Mar 6, 2010


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If you start cackling maniacally just reading the tabloid headlines from Albany (“Paterson's aides tell of gov's laziness, tantrums and deceits”; “‘Paranoid' gov going ballistic”), just imagine the jokes going around inside the place. A well timed NY Times profile ventured inside the State Capitol which, with Gov. Paterson spinning down the drain, increasingly resembles the set for Shutter Island. “Man, I like crazy; I would love crazy,” responded Keith L.T. Wright, a Democratic assemblyman from Manhattan, when asked if things had ever been this crazy before. “Our forefathers in their infinite wisdom planned for crazy. But this week we moved to insane.”

“Welcome to the Senate, or should I say, ‘condolences’?” State Senator Liz Krueger joked Thursday. In the Senate there’s a stalemate since neither party has a voting majority. Downstairs things are looking grim for the Paterson; if he resigns the state will have cycled through three governors in three years: “I have a new favorite song,” a senior administration official said. “It’s called ‘It’s the Worst Day Since Yesterday.’ ”

As the Paterson debacle stretches beyond the limits of any reasonable breaking point, some were actually caught sighing for Eliot Spitzer’s quick, if painful, fall from grace. "The news broke on a Monday and he was gone by Wednesday; that was so great,” said a high-level Democratic Assembly aide.

Tagged

Albany

crazy

david paterson

eliot spitzer

governor paterson

house assembly

senate

state capitol


Sabrina Jaszi

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