Spano Splits From GOP

Yonkers State Assemblyman Mike Spano has officially switched from the GOP to the Democratic Party.

Spano is the brother of former State Senator Nick Spano (R-Yonkers), a fairly liberal Republican defeated last year by former Westchester County Legislator Andrea Stewart-Cousins (D-Yonkers). Mike Spano's district takes up more than 2/3 of the city of Yonkers and is heavily Democratic (although heavily Italian-American.)

Spano says the national GOP has moved too far to the right for a moderate like him and he feels more at home with the Democratic caucus.

Speaker Sheldon Silver however has not rewarded Spano with any leadership positions, instead recognizing him as the "newest" member of the Democratic caucus.

Spano's switch gives the Democrats a 107-41-1 majority in the State Assembly. Those numbers include that of Paul Tonko (D-Montgomery County) who resigned to become head of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority. His seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands and a special election has been called for July 31st.

Post-Election Party Switching

After the 1994 Elections, when the Republicans took control of Congress, a large number of Democrats left their party and became Republicans. In Congress, most of those party switchers were from the south, such as Senators Richard Shelby of Alabama, Ben Nighthorse Campbell of Colorado and Congressmen Greg Laughlin of Texas, Jimmy Hayes and Billy Tauzin of Louisiana, Mike Parker of Mississippi and Nathan Deal of Georgia.

Now that the Democrats have taken over Congress, will we see an exodus from the Republicans? Possibly; One of the first rumored party switchers is not from a Democratic area, raher the south of all places, it's Congressman Walter Jones of North Carolina.

The Hill reports Jones, who is strongly opposed to the Iraq War and joined the Democrats in opposing the troops surge, is being courted to become a Democrat. Jones, who represents a district in North Carolina that includes the Outer Banks, is the son of a former Democratic Representative from his state and used to be a Democrat before becoming a Republican in 1994.

Jones says he'll stay in the Republican Caucus, even though he's been whipped by the GOP leadership for this opposition to the war. Why is he planning on staying?

"I think at the present time, because of the pro- life issue primarily, I am where I need to be."

Abortion reigns above all else to some people, a sad truth.