Republicans Take Control Of New York State Senate

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The Republicans just got a big break in New York, with two Democratic state Senators now switching over and giving the GOP control of the state Senate.

The Dems only just won control of the heavily GOP-gerrymandered chamber in 2008, after four decades in the minority. (The gerrymander is noted here only to point out what an accomplishment this was, not to make any moralistic point — it was after all made feasible because of cooperation with the permanent Democratic majority in the state Assembly, which also gerrymandered itself to greater and greater numbers over the years.)

The two defectors were Sens. Hiram Monserrate of Queens, and Pedro Espada of the Bronx.

After Election Day 2008, the chamber stood at 32 Democrats to 30 Republicans. But now that has been flipped around: 32 Republicans — or at least 32 members who organize for Republican leadership — to 30 Democrats.

As if Gov. David Paterson (D) didn’t have enough problems…

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