ust when you think things just cannot get worse in the senate, this stupid crap happens. This is beyond childish, this is dangerous. Then I hear today the democrats had guards standing protecting the podium?

Neither side will sit together because neither side recognizes that the other is in control. Problem is the judge threw out the democrats suit against the republicans. The other is Judge Teresi agreed that what they are doing is not the work they are constitutionally delegated to do. Just more strength toward our lawsuit.

ALBANY — The latest attempt to break the State Senate’s three-week-old stalemate began with a quest for caffeine.

Shortly before noon on Tuesday, as Democrats prepared to convene what they expected to be another fruitless one-party session, they saw Frank Padavan, a Queens Republican, walk through the rear of the chamber.

Mr. Padavan would later say he had simply been taking a shortcut to the members’ lounge to grab a cup of coffee. But to the 31 Democrats in the chamber, that did not matter. Claiming that Mr. Padavan’s brief presence gave them the 32-member quorum required to gavel the Senate into session, Democrats began ramming through dozens of measures, including sales tax extensions and bond authorizations that were set to expire at midnight.

By the time the Democrats adjourned, Mr. Padavan’s coffee run had thrust the Capitol into a new round of recriminations and legal debate. Democrats insisted that the bills had been lawfully passed, Republicans denounced the session as fraudulent and inappropriate, and Gov. David A. Paterson suggested that he would not sign the bills into law.

“Was the session valid? The answer to that question is yes,” said Malcolm A. Smith, the Democratic leader. “The other question is also, why would anyone go to disqualify the session given the significance of what we accomplished today?”

Senate Republicans had a ready answer for Mr. Smith.

“That is probably the most fraudulent, obnoxious, arrogant display of partisanship,” said Dean G. Skelos, the Republican leader, “and, quite frankly, a total disregard of the institution of the Senate that so many of us care about.”

The disputed session marked the third time in three weeks that either Republicans or Democrats had tried to vote on legislation amid a battle over which side controlled the chamber. With one Democrat, Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx, allied with the Republicans, the two sides each have 31 votes.

But with a quorum established in their eyes — and no Republicans remaining on the Senate floor to object — Democrats began passing legislation by unanimous consent. Because he was counted as present and did not seek to cast any votes, Mr. Padavan was recorded as a “yea” on each bill.

via Glimpsing a G.O.P. Passer-By, Senate Democrats Grab the Gavel - NYTimes.com.