They brought their own gavel!

As I was driving back today, I heard this piece of news (click on ‘Listen now’) on National Public Radio (NPR). Simply entertaining. The transcript of the report is below:

Today was supposed to be the day New York state government got back to work. The state senate has been paralyzed for two weeks. There was a failed legislative goo and a dispute over which party was in-charge. Governor David Paterson used his powers to compel state senators to meet today but as NPR’s Robert smith report the senators didn’t exactly corporate:

The political battle over who controls the New York’s state senate became more like a child’s game of calling dibs today. First, Democrats and Republicans plotted to see who can get to the podium first to hold the gavel and then they proceeded to ignore each other. This came after governor David Paterson had basically told both sides to grow up and show up in special session this afternoon.

David Paterson: “Over last couple of weeks, the senators conduct has been laughable but what’s going on around here these days is no joke and I don’t find it funny.”

Perhaps surreal is better term. Let’s recap. On June 8th Republicans tried to take over the state senate from the Democrats. Two Democrats defected to help the Republicans out and then one re-defected back. So long story short, the New York state senate became tied and for weeks no one has been able to figure out who is in-charge. Democratic state senator Eric Schneiderman told reporters this afternoon that negotiations broke down over who would run the special session.

Eric Schneiderman: “We don’t want this to be a circus and we are asking the Republicans to enter in an operating agreement. They have refused to do that. They are still focusing on the issue whether or not June 8th vote was valid and who is the president of senate?”

You see the Republicans had a plan. If the New York state senate’s special session was at 3 o’clock this afternoon, they were going to show up at 2 o’clock and try and hold their own session. That way they will be standing at the podium and at least visually in-charge. But at 12:30, the Democrats launched a sneak attack. They entered into senate chamber through a back hallway and locked the doors. State Democratic senators stood vigilant at podium then the senator Republicans got into the chamber and try to start their session ignoring the Democrats and ostensibly passing bills. They brought their own gavel. The Democrats started another legislative session with their gavel and started talking over the Republicans. Both sides claim to have passed bills even though no one has a majority. Governor David Paterson called it a farce and says he is disgusted.

David Paterson: “ I feel that they should be punished for what they have done, that they should stay here everyday, Saturdays, Sundays, July 4th and every other time until they remember they work for the people of the state of New York and not for themselves.”

The clock is ticking. On July 1st various taxes and labor agreements won’t go into effect if not approved by the state legislator and damage to senate’s reputation is already done. A poll released yesterday show a record number of people saying New York state is headed in a wrong direction: 63%. A majority called the senate a deadlock and an embarrassment, Robert Smith, NPR news, New York.

Simply hilarious! You know, at times radio is so much better than TV. I don’t think video recording of the event would have been as funny as this report. All they needed to do was to close the report by saying: “That ladies and gentlemen was the story called “Gavel struggle”, read for you by Robert Smith”.

Now I know why they say, ‘Reality is funnier than fiction’.