For the past month or so the New York Senate was stuck in a 31-31 stalemate with Republicans and Democrats both claiming power. This lead to scenes of Democrats and Republicans sitting on different halves of the chambers holding separate Senate sessions, each claiming to be the legitimate Senate. It was like a cross between the Babylonian Captivity of the 1300s and the Brady Bunch. On one hand watching grown-ups act like 4 year olds fighting over whose cupcake has more frosting can be fun (see this link for an inside look at how silly it got). On the other, believe it or not, the state government actually does stuff for people or at least it is supposed to. With the Senate deadlocked important bills were not debated, taxes were not collected, and New York suffered.

The only winner here? Meet Pedro Espada Jr. The Democrat flipped to vote with the Republicans to start this mess then unflipped to put the Democrats back in control. Why did he flip in the first place? He is under ethics investigations and most of the other Dems in the Senate were going to back a different Democrat to replace him. Why did he flip back? The Dems offered him leadership of the Senate.

To recap: a power grab by Republicans lead to pain for the people they were meant to serve when lead to a power grab by an ethical questionable Dem. And for what? There's no way Espada is getting re-elected in 2011...right? What can he hope to accomplish in 2 years with both sides hating his guts? Was it worth making his state a laughing stock?