At the Capitol today, in what may have been the last session of a Republican-controlled Senate, several GOP senators spoke in favor of the nomination to the Court of Claims of Michael Melkonian, who was duly confirmed. They knew Melkonian from his long service to the Senate majority, most recently as head of the Legislative Bill Drafting Commission. He and his large family were present in the gallery, and as I've always found him an affable fellow, I do not begrudge him a steady job.
Still, I couldn't help remember bumping into him in August 2006, in state Supreme Court in Troy. He was assisting Michael Avella and another attorney, John Ciampoli, who did most of the talking. Avella did some, too, but Melkonian didn't speak up in court. When I pressed him, he said he was there on his own time.
They were representing Joe Bruno, then the Republican Senate leader, who was in an unusual legal alliance with Saratoga County Democrats. Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman was in court, too, supporting Democratic Committee member and lawyer Peter Tulin, who was trying to prevent Brian Premo from running as a Democrat against Bruno in the 43rd Senate District. They won the case, and Bruno ran unopposed. Not long afterward, Avella was appointed Bruno's chief counsel. He was on the Senate floor today, still working for the majority.
Before the end of 2006, Bruno announced he was under federal investigation, a probe that is continuing to to this day. Tulin ran for state Supreme Court in 2007. He lost, after it was revealed he had been recently sanctioned in court for falling behind on child support payments, and had cited bipolar disorder as a reason for the arrears.
Premo planned to run against Bruno again this year, but the Senate leader resigned his post, and Premo then lost a Democratic primary to Mike Russo. Roy McDonald, Bruno's chosen successor, won the seat.
I didn't see Bruno's successor as majority leader, Dean Skelos, or the Democratic leader, Malcolm Smith, on the Senate floor. I heard they were negotiating the future of the Senate, which may hang with the rebel "gang of three" Democrats whom neither leader seemed anxious to accommodate today. I did see one of the gang, Sen. Carl Kruger, D-Brooklyn, shaking hands with liberal Sen. Tom Duane, D-Manhattan.
I also went to a press conference of Gov. Paterson's, at which no one asked him about what seemed to me the startling news that he is proposing some higher spending, including an increase in welfare payments and expansions of health insurance, despite what he says is an unprecedented budget crisis (which doesn't make him wrong). The Republican state chairman, Joe Mondello, had denounced the governor's proposals and the tax increases that went with them, but no one seemed too interested in that, which may be another sign of the Republicans' waning fortunes (or may provide an opportunity for their Assembly leader, Jim Tedisco).
I also discovered from NYPIRG why the Bigger Better Bottle Bill doesn't include increases in deposits for containers. That doesn't poll well, and they didn't need more reasons to stir up opposition.
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