"Democrat" Spain's GOP Majority

The old adage says "if the shoe fits, wear it." So it is with Al Spain, a registered Democrat who votes with Republicans, endorses them for local, county and state offices, and remarkably, is viewed by a registered Republican and a registered Conservative town board member as their "Majority Leader". Judging from the picture, it seems apparent that it's a bit uncomfortable for a Democrat to wear those GOP loafers. Just looking at your feet don't make the pain any better.

Today's Troy Record column makes it clear that reporters who cover North Greenbush have reached the same conclusion based on the actions and votes of Spain and his non Democrat allies on the Town Board. Of course that won't stop "Big Al" as democratic opponents fondly refer to him these days, from claiming he's simply bi-partisan, voting by shutting out the only other Democrat on the town board from any inclusion on appointments to committees, Spain's out of town lawyers and pals placed on the town payroll instead of town residents and just about everything else you can think of.

That's not likely to stop Spain from walking himself into the next Democratic caucus and trying to convince Democrats that he's a loyal card carrying Democrat, however, although columns like today's Record make it difficult for him to be persuasive as do those GOP footprints he'll be leaving on the caucus floor.

What's equally curious is why the two non Democrat board members let Spain lead them around by their noses as he expends their political capital to appoint non residents to town jobs while building a group of voters and their families who will be anxious to vote them out in the next round, not because they weren't appointed, but because no one from the town was appointed in favor of the out of town political pals of Al Spain.

At some point one would hope the two non Democrats awaken to the political realities of dancing to the tune that "Democrat" Spain plays on his fiddle. The next bit of fun will come when the board has to appoint someone to the Lou Desso seat ordered vacated by the Courts. We're betting there's a lot of pressure from Desso to appoint his wife, but we're also betting that the the GOP Chairman has another candidate in mind. Of course town Democrats, the ones elected to hold a majority of the town's 16 committee seats, will have someone else in mind. Democrat Spain will thus have another opportunity on the political stage to show Democratic caucus voters his true allegiances and colors. We're told they will be reminded if "Democrat" Spain enters the next town caucus to proclaim his "Party Loyalty".