The NY Senate Democrats are still in “We have absolute power” mode and either think they can do whatever they want or they believe they’ll be able to get away with it because no one is paying attention. 

Governor Paterson, in an effort to look angry and disappointed to help improve his abysmal public opinion numbers, puffed out his chest when he declared that all state senators MUST, by court order, attend every single one of the extraordinary sessions he calls until the senate reaches an agreement to end the current stalemate.  If you don’t show, Paterson threatened to send the state police after you to compel your attendance.

He’s talked a pretty good game and it looked like the public was on the verge of actually giving Dave some credit for using his bully pulpit this way.

Well, today we learned that for all of his tough talk, Paterson is full of baloney.  Be prepared to get pretty damn pissed off.

See if you can tell what (or rather ‘who’) is missing from this photo:

It’s Democrat State Senator (and soon to be congressional candidate) Darryl Aubertine (D-Cape Vincent).  We first found this story over at NY Daily Balance.

This photo was snapped yesterday during the extraordinary called by the Governor and mandated by a judicial court order.  But Democrat Senator Darryl Aubertine didn’t show up.  No, he wasn’t in the bathroom or running out to grab a V8.  He plain and simple just didn’t show.

You think this would be all over the statewide press right?  No, I’m not sure why. *giggles*

Here’s the story in the Watertown Daily Times (check out the last sentence):

State Sen. Darrel J. Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent, wasn’t physically present at Thursday afternoon’s extraordinary Senate session.

Mr. Aubertine, his spokesman said, returned to the district to attend to business. He asked the journal clerk to mark him as “present,” which automatically puts him as a “yes” on all bills that come to a vote.

Mr. Aubertine received permission to leave Albany by Sen. Malcolm A. Smith, his conference’s majority leader.

Gov. David A. Paterson’s spokeswoman said that what he did was permissible.

“Puts him as a “yes” on all bills that come to a vote?”  There’s no bills even coming to the floor Darryl and you know that!  And how about Paterson’s people saying that this is ok?  WTF is that?

Let me get this straight… Paterson gets a court order stating that all senators must attend his extraordinary sessions, talks all kinds of smack about forcing senators to remain in Albany, claims he’ll send out the NYS troopers to haul you back… but confirms that as long as a senator gets the “OK” from their leader, they can go ahead and skip the court ordered session, leave Albany and head home, in this case, for “business.”

If there are any state senators out there who realize that they need to head home “for business” I guess they can just up and scram as they please, just let Smith/Sampson/Klein/Savino (or whomever is running the show for the dems this hour) or Skelos know first.  Then you’re good!

I also wonder what the “business” was all about.  Everyone knows Aubertine is the Democrat front-runner for Congressman John McHugh’s seat (CD 23) now that he’s leaving.  Wouldn’t it be a hoot if North Country voters found out their Senator blew off a court ordered session just so he could hold a political campaign meeting back home?  Now I know why the mainstream NY press isn’t covering this.

This is yet another example of NY Senate Democrat ignoring their constituents call to get back to work.  Democrat Senator Kevin Parker, D-Brooklyn, blew off one of the senate sessions and Democrat Senator Ruben Diaz, Sr., D-Bronx is already saying he’s not attending a weekend session (Diaz is daring Paterson to “come get me!”).

So much for all the tough talk by Governor David Paterson that he’s going to keep State Senators in Albany by court order until this issue is resolved.  Once again, Paterson proves his weakness and inability to lead this state.  Andrew Cuomo’s gotta be laughing his butt off while he prepares his primary campaign for Governor.