David Paterson May Not Be the Chief Clown in the New York State Politics Clown Show

In fact, he may not even be number 2...or number 3, or even number 31, or for that matter, he may not even be number 62

You see, the New York Senate Democrats have locked themselves in the Senate chambers to prevent the Republicans from holding their own special session, which they did anyway, and claimed to have passed everything by 62-0, and that the session is over.

Of course with 31 people on each side, there is no quorum, so neither side of the aisle is acting with anything resembling sanity.

Only there was nothing to pass, because David Paterson had not bothered to finish the bills and send them to the legislature for the emergency session called by one David Paterson.

That being said, I think that NY State Senator Pedro Espada is the chief clown.

It appears now that he's trying to extort money from the Democratic caucus, asking for $2 million for his "not-for-profit" health clinic chainwhen jumped to the other side over not getting $75 thousand for his little scam.

What's more after weeks of claiming that thieves had broken into his "second" home in tony Mamaronack, he represents the Bronx, and stolen only those papers, the documents have turned up:

Sen. Pedro Espada Jr. now says thieves didn't get the key documents he suggested might have been swiped during a reported burglary at his "second home" in Westchester County.

Espada, under investigation for living outside his Bronx district, raised eyebrows last week when he said that whoever broke into his Mamaroneck home stole files and documents - but no other valuables.

(emphasis mine)

How the hell this guy stays out of jail, I'll never know.

Additionally, he had to be threatened with criminal charges before he was willing turn over his campaign donation information to state campaign finance authorities, though it appears that he still hasn't paid the fines.

Meanwhile, a grand jury has been convened, and is investigating whether Espada committed fraud by misstating his true residence, and the Bronx DA is now going back further, looking at his earlier campaigns.

You know, relative to this crap, I live in a good government state, and I live in Maryland.

I never ever thought that I would put the phrase "good government" and "Maryland" in the same sentence.