Coup in Review: Paterson Calls Special Session, Skelos Spokesman Says “Bullsh*t,” Bloomberg Blames Dems, Espada Shows Off Bronx “Home”

Over the weekend Governor Paterson stepped into the Albany Coup spotlight, announcing that he would summon the state senators to a special session on Wednesday (the official session ends today), and he meant all the state senators, not just the Republicans who have been meeting alone, without a quorum and unable to pass legislation since Hiram Monserrate left their coalition and the Democrats went on strike.

Paterson says he will preside over the session and see to it that the senate will work weekends and holidays and also consider his gay marriage bill. He unfortunately added that “what’s going on around here these days is no joke and I don’t find it funny,” which makes him sound like a flustered high school principal. The Post‘s Fred Dicker also finds the Governor risible, and claims Albany considers Paterson’s gambit “little more than an effort to boost the governor’s dismal approval rating.” Dicker quotes a spokesman for GOP leader Dean Skelos who calls Paterson’s request “bizarre” and “total bullshit.”

The Post takes Mayor Bloomberg more seriously, saying he has “declared war on Albany” — specifically on the state senate Democrats who, under the leadership of John Sampson, show little interest in breaking the deadlock to renew Bloomberg’s mayoral control of the schools, which is needed by the old law’s expiration on June 30. The Post, which previously noted Sampson’s opposition to mayoral control as it stands, helpfully tells readers that “Sampson’s own Brooklyn district, Bloomberg noted, has shown major gains” from the Mayor’s school oversight.

Coup leader and putative senate president pro tem Pedro Espada disputed claims that he doesn’t really live in his Bronx domicile and posed for pictures at that address, showing off family portraits on its walls, which he offered as proof of residency.