As the state is buffeted by a seemingly unending series of scandals involving elected officials, we asked a number of experts and politicians to weigh in what was New York’s worst political scandal ever. Let us know if you agree–and what scandals may have been overlooked. Larry Norden Deputy Director, Brennan Center for Justice The past 10 years have been really bad for Albany. We’ve had at least 13 convictions of elected officials, many more indictments, including three of the… [More]

Most New Yorkers want to believe that the elected officials are faithfully representing our interests in government, but the facts don’t back up the “few bad apples” argument.… [More]

Election Day in 2012 was one of the bleakest in the history of the New York State Republican Party. Propelled by an Obama landslide in New York—the president’s best showing in any state except Vermont and Hawaii—the Democrats trounced their opposition all the way down the ballot. Kirsten Gillibrand, once considered one of the most vulnerable incumbents in the U.S. Senate, amassed a startling 72 percent of the vote, the highest percent total of any statewide candidate in New York… [More]

  What does Mayor Michael Bloomberg do on his birthday, which also happens to be Valentine’s Day and the day he addressed the city in his 12th and final State of the City talk? Does he put on a tuxedo and throw himself a classy yet staid black tie party at the Waldorf Astoria like Jack Donaghy did once? Does he pop a copy of Annie Hall into his 90-inch television and curl up on his animal print sofa with… [More]

Politically, the year ahead will offer the usual crop of indicted pols, unpopular policies and heart-stopping surprises. … [More]

Each morning in our First Read email City & State presents The Kicker, a choice quote from the day’s top stories. The following are some of the most amusing and memorable kickers of 2012.… [More]

Former Gov. David Paterson on the 2012 elections.… [More]

For anyone who has paid attention to New York State politics, the story of Gov. William Sulzer will be all too familiar.… [More]

Eliot Spitzer on journalism, Troopergate and his criticisms of Cuomo Eliot Spitzer needs no introduction. Since resigning as governor in March 2008, Spitzer has reemerged as a contributor to Slate magazine, an adjunct professor of political science at City College, and a television news commentator first for CNN and now for Current TV. Most recently he joined NY1′s Inside City Hall as one of the show’s “Wise Guys.” City & State Editor Morgan Pehme talks with Spitzer about his experience… [More]

“There comes a point in time when the piling on—you want to set the record straight and try to get some things straight. And I think that, here it is.” - State Sen. Malcolm A. Smith… [More]