Perdido Street School

 From State of Politics:

Independent Democratic Conference Leader Jeff Klein on Friday touted his endorsement from the New York State United Teachers union.

“I’m honored to have the endorsement of NYSUT, whose membership works hard each and every day on everything from shaping young minds in our public schools to educating adults in our colleges and universities. I’m committed to being a voice for our educators in Albany,” Klein said in a statement released this afternoon.

Klein faces former city Councilman Oliver Koppell in a Democratic primary next month.
NYSUT announced its slate of endorsements in the Legislature this week, but declined to endorse in the race for governor.

“Those who earn endorsements are friends of public education and labor,” NYSUT President Karen Magee said. “Over the last two years, they earned our support by advocating effectively for our public schools, colleges and healthcare institutions; listening intently to the concerns and aspirations of our members, and voting consistently the right way.”

Let's leave aside that you can't turn your back on State Senator Klein without getting a knife in it.

Let's leave aside that he's a mob-connected politician who belongs in prison, not the state senate.

Let's leave aside that he's been a good friend to Governor Cuomo, ensuring Cuomo got his tax cuts for the 1% and other Wall Street budget priorities.

All those things are bad enough.

But this is a guy who is pro-charter school, pro-voucher, and pro-APPR, a guy who's a favorite of StudentsFirstNY and other education reform groups, a guy who was one of only two Senate Dems who voted a few years ago to end seniority protections for teachers.

If NYSUT leaders had their rank-and-file members interests at heart, they would have turned on Klein and endorsed his opponent, Oliver Koppell.

Instead they endorsed the pro-charter, pro-voucher, pro-APPR guy with the mob ties and education reform bona fides.

Your NYSUT leaders in action

Maybe some of Klein's organized crime friends made them an offer they couldn't refuse?

From Ken Lovett at the Daily News:

Former City Controller John Liu has decided to run for state Senate, a source close to him told the Daily News.

Liu, 47, will primary Queens Democrat incumbent Tony Avella, who angered party leaders earlier this year by joining a faction of breakaway Dems who jointly control the Senate with the GOP.
“This is John’s reemergence,” the source said. “He sees it as an opportunity to contribute.”

Confident mainline Dems believe a Liu victory could help them reclaim control of the chamber--or at the very least weaken the Republican-dissident Dem majority coalition.

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