Andrew Cuomo

Takeaways from the state Senate Democratic unity announcement

Looking like classmates forced by their parents to play together, state Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Independent Conference Leader Jeff Klein joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a press conference on Wednesday to officially announce the reunification of the IDC with the legislative body’s mainline Democrats.

Looking like classmates forced by their parents to play together, state Senate Minority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Independent Conference Leader Jeff Klein joined Gov. Andrew Cuomo at a press conference on Wednesday to officially announce the reunification of the IDC with the legislative body’s mainline Democrats.

Cuomo emphasized the need to reunify as the state faces an oppositional government in Washington, D.C. However, it was striking to discuss party unity just five days after the state budget was finalized, a process in which Stewart-Cousins was excluded from negotiations.

I watched and live-tweeted the awkward but politically pragmatic lovefest. Watch the full press conference, or check out the Twitter highlights below:

Bonus tweet from Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times: