Intelligencer

Albany Smackdown Scorecards

Rating state pols’ topsy-turvy, kicking-and-screaming, utterly maddening week.

By Geoffrey Gray
Published Feb 11, 2007

Governor Spitzer may be, as he bluntly put it, a fuckin’ steamroller—but he’s also the guy getting steamrolled. Last week’s wild ride in Albany could cause whiplash: The Dems were able to win a costly seat in the State Senate; the man who now controls billions of the state’s dollars was unanimously passed over by a panel of his predecessors, then picked by his pal anyway; and the two most powerful pols in the state—who share the same party—declared all-out war on each other. We broke the mess down in the categories that matter to these guys: macho posturing, moral superiority, and who won this round.


Sheldon Silver By ignoring Spitzer and tapping his own man (DiNapoli) as comptroller, Silver energized his supporters in the Assembly, who felt bullied. But Spitzer said he displayed "a stunning lack of integrity."	Eliot Spitzer Gained State Senate seat for Dems, then got shafted by the Legislature. Raging against Silver gives Spitzer reformer cred—but it’s far from certain that he’ll win the face-off.	Malcolm Smith After helping Spitzer get an extra seat in the Senate, the Minority Leader claimed he’s talking to Republicans who might switch parties and make him the next Joe Bruno. Who? Smith wouldn’t say.	Thomas DiNapoli Spitzer called him "thoroughly and totally unqualified," but the new comptroller said they could be "effective partners." In huge debt to Silver, DiNapoli now has the power to audit Spitzer and his agencies.
MACHO POSTURE

MORAL SUPERIORITY
		n/a
KING (FOR THE MOMENT)