Peace Breaks Out

- The NY Times reports today on the virtual love fest going on between Governor David Paterson and the Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno.

[Paterson] consults regularly with Mr. Bruno, whom Mr. Spitzer had stopped speaking to altogether, visiting his office to chat about legislation and talking on the telephone with him several times a week.

In doing so, Mr. Paterson has changed the tone in the capital from one of combat and animosity to one that is joshing and affectionate, a marked shift from Mr. Spitzer’s rough-and-tumble approach in trying to overhaul one of the nation’s most reform-resistant statehouses.

“We’re definitely at peace,” Mr. Paterson said in an interview, describing his warm relationship with Mr. Bruno.

Well shit, this is no fun. And though the truce may have contributed to a spate of Democratic-sponsored legislation making it through the Republican Senate, some Democrats are concerned that Paterson is taking his eye off the elections this fall (no pun intended). Whereas Spitzer participated aggressively in the Democrats' effort to take the Senate, one which has the GOP's advantage down to two seats, Paterson's involvement has been thus far restrained.

During a telephone interview, Mr. Paterson stressed that his priority is tackling the state’s problems. If the Republicans help him do that, he said, he could not in good conscience campaign for their ouster.

“I’m not going to antagonize the Republican majority by telling them we’re working together and then go out in the evenings and become so political that it becomes public and aggravates them,” he said. [NY Times]

This at a time when the sides are starting to line up in some of the swing districts that will be crucial to the outcome in November.

- Still no decision on the Aqueduct racino. We were talkin a couple of weeks ago about who's lobbying for who on the issue, and I found this note from a couple of weeks ago with more details:

A who’s who of communications people are representing the firms competing for the video lottery facility at Aqueduct, which will generate millions, possibly billions of dollars in future state revenue.

Darren Dopp, former Spitzer communications director, is representing Delaware North.

Bob Bellafiore, former Pataki press secretary, is doing communications for SL Green.

Communications consultant and political commentator Hank Sheinkopf is representing Capital Play. [Capitol Confidential]

Dopp works for Patricia Lynch, and I wonder what kind of reception he gets from Bruno considering that he was a point man in the Choppergate affair. Sheinkopf, a prominent Democrat consultant and former campaign adviser to President Clinton, worked for Capital Play during their franchise bid. Bellafiore was the PR guy for Empire when they turned nasty, issued their ridiculous press releases, and unleashed coordinated verbal attacks, including their labeling of Excelsior as "dog track operators." You remember how well that worked out. SL Green was part of that mess, yet they rewarded this guy with another gig. I must be in the wrong business.