Something's wrong with the local Democrats

Since the NJ state shut-down for the budget crisis, now our neighbor state of New York has a similar problem -- dispute between a Democratic Governor (Eliot Spitzer) and a Democratic legislature leader (Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver). Their dispute is more personal, about the selection of a new Comptroller.

Their deal called for having three former comptrollers screen the potential choices and then forward a list of qualified candidates to the Legislature for a vote. At least one of the former comptrollers’ preferred candidates was likely to be an assemblyman, the thinking went.

In the end, though, the newbie governor had the last laugh, as the panel forwarded the names of three candidates from outside the Assembly: William J. Mulrow, an investment banker who ran for comptroller in 2002 and who is close to Mr. Spitzer; Martha E. Stark, the New York City Finance Commissioner; and Howard S. Weitzman, the Nassau County comptroller.

Mr. Spitzer said all along that the panel could recommend “up to five” candidates, but Mr. Silver is now claiming that the agreement was for the panel to recommend five candidates, and that by offering only three the former comptrollers “did not conform” to the agreement.

Some rank-and-file members of the Assembly are doubly angry, because the State Constitution gives the Legislature the right to select the replacement for a comptroller who resigns, and gives no role to the governor. Because Assembly Democrats control the biggest bloc of votes, the choice would have effectively been theirs. Now they are grousing that Mr. Silver should not have ceded so much control to Mr. Spitzer.

It's a bit funny in this case. Indeed it should be something Governor doesn't have too much a say, but, naming a member of Assembly as the comptroller doesn't sound too much a good idea either. Why would they pick up such a fight with such a negative image, I mean naming someone among themselves to a neutral post? Doesn't that just sound bad?