Mr. Thompson goes to Albany

May 7th, 2007 News

Maybe things are getting better in state government; State Senator Antoine Thompson engaged in some actual debate in Albany.

Thompson gave a rousing speech in opposition to a Senate bill to raise legislators’ pay, saying,

“I can’t in good conscience vote for myself, or anyone else, a raise.”

At that point, a republican state sentor from Queens asked,

“Why did your conscience allow you to be a sponsor of this bill?

Wha?

“Sir, as you may know, we get information on a regular basis, and when I found out the exact content of the bill I was in complete opposition,” Mr. Thompson explained, a deer-in-the-headlights expression passing over his face.

Anyone who pays even passing attention to local politics knows that expression very well.

He resumed his speech, raising his voice even louder in outrage at the bill, before Senator John A. DeFrancisco, a Syracuse Republican, rose to speak.

“Is it true that you’re saying that before giving your name as a sponsor to this bill you didn’t read it?” he asked. Mr. Thompson asked for the question to be repeated.

Mr. DeFrancisco: “Are you saying — very simple question — that before you agreed to co-sponsor this bill you did not read it?”

Mr. Thompson: “I did not receive the information.”

Mr. DeFrancisco: “You did not read it.”

Mr. Thompson: “I did not receive the information.”

I’m so glad we have such conscientious, effective representation in Albany.

HT anonymous e-mailer.

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7 Responses to “Mr. Thompson goes to Albany”

  1.  

    1776 Says:
    May 7th, 2007 at 2:07 pm

    Antoine is so far beyond ridiculous I cannot even laugh at his idiocy anymore. The district had decent, thoughtful, committed representation from Marc Coppola, but the Grassroots hack machine made sure he was bounced out. Some days, I really hate politics.

  2.  

    Billy Says:
    May 7th, 2007 at 3:43 pm

    Coppola wasn’t much better. Have you ever tried to talk to him? I did - two inches deep.

    The problem with these guys is you have to be such a smuck to get in a position to run for one of these offices that no real person could stomach the process past becoming a committeeman.

  3.  

    Starbuck Says:
    May 7th, 2007 at 6:11 pm

    Mayor-in-Waiting Thompson should stay with the strategy Byron Brown used when he held that senate seat: try to avoid sponsoring bills that do anything other than rename streets. There’s just so many hours in a day to receive and analyze “information”.

  4.  

    BFLOnian Says:
    May 7th, 2007 at 8:25 pm

    What is really terrifying is that the ever articulate Betty Jean Grant replaces him. Does anyone think she’s ever read anything?

  5.  

    Kevin J. Says:
    May 7th, 2007 at 9:12 pm

    Um, no, BFLOnian; Demone Smith replaced Antoine Thompson. Betty Jean Grant replaced Demone Smith in the County Legislature.

  6.  

    ryan Says:
    May 7th, 2007 at 10:36 pm

    “Does anyone think she’s ever read anything?”

    Hold up!

    She can read? Anybody have any evidence of this aforementioned said literacy?

  7.  

    BuffaloPundit » Blog Archive » Better than Text Says:
    May 10th, 2007 at 10:11 am

    […] The other day, I posted the text of a downstate Republican state senator owning Antoine Thompson on his pay raise flip-flop. […]

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