The Legislators Guide to a Hierarchy of Political Attitude
In the same way Elizabeth Kubler Ross examined the emotional phases of grief, and Abraham Maslow diagrammed universal human needs, a couple of people in the hallway (Liz and I) outlined the 6 degrees of Attitude that legislators sport when they’re forced to return to Albany for a Special Session. For the first time, and perhaps for the last, here they are:
Attitude 1 – Resentment.
“How dare a Governor with the lowest approval rating in the history of the state demand we come back here?! Things were never this bad when __________________ was in charge”.
Attitude 2 — Derision, with a patina of mockery.
“Paterson is on his way out. He’s gone off the deep-end. Honestly? I never would have come up here if I didn’t have to drop off my dry-cleaning.”
Attitude 3 — Resignation accompanied by a little half-hearted deal-making.
“Let’s just get this thing negotiated. I have a 27 appointments next week. And, uh, I’m not sure, I’ll have to check with my assistant, but I may have a fundraiser scheduled too.”
Attitude 4 — Explosive anger and name calling because the half-hearted deal fell apart.
“That conference (the conference of whoever is not speaking) is led by a bunch of pathological liars who have never worked a day in their miserable rackinfrakinsmootmuthacrispytush lives.”
Attitude 5 — Painful realization that if they don’t do SOMETHING they can’t go home.
“The food here is worse than the weather. Some freckle-faced kid at the joint we ate at last night didn’t know what Borscht/Gnocchi/Uni/ was. Looked at me like I was speaking a different language, can you imagine? Let’s just get this thing over with.”
Attitude 6 — (Usually seen at a hastily called press conference announcing a deal no party is happy with). Fake pride at whatever deal leaders have hammered out. Fake camaraderie. Pretend cell phone use (to get out of talking to reporters). And finally, REAL impatience to get out of Albany.
“Let’s get out of here before he starts mumbling something about gay marriage.”
——————
COMING UP ON THE NEXT EDITION OF THE CAPITOL PRESSROOM
On Monday we get a chance to talk to NYS Comptroller Tom DiNapoli about the possibility of a credit rating downgrade in New York, as well as his analysis of the political playing field in 2010. Also we’ll play, “Grade the Deficit Reduction Plan”. Each conference has it”s own plan to close the current year’s budget gap, but not all plans are created equal.
After a Democratic Dose of DiNapoli, Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos may pop in to give us an update on DRP negotiations.
And a guy who has a reason to smile: Rick Lazio. The only Republican declared candidate for Governor received a boost this week when Rudy Guiliani’s decision not to run was leaked to the press. We’ll talk with him about some other possible opponents, and more.
You can hear The Capitol Pressroom live (or via podcast) on our website.
Or simply quit your job and move to a bucolic location somewhere between Herkimer and Buffalo where you can hear The Capitol Pressroom on a bunch of public radio stations across the central & western parts of the State.
Or stay where you are, listen on-line and write to us:
