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Shelly Silver, On the Couch First Spitzer Transition Team Meeting Set Socialist Won’t Socialize 10 Questions with Malachy McCourt GOP Challenger Says Bing Doesn’t Do Enough Tough Times for Local GOP Crowley on Malcolm Smith and Gay Marriage Paterson on Malcolm Smith and Democratic Strategy Krueger Faces a Challenge Political Transitions for Transit Workers The Money Trail: Loose Laws for Leftovers A Cabinet Stocked with Imports Instead of Political Curry For Alternate-Party Candidates, Winning Is Not Everything Slow Progress for Disabled Voting City’s Adult Literacy Programs Grapple with Funding Cuts Though the Competition is Over, the Campaign Continues
The October Poll: Which Council Member Would Have the Best Survival Skills on a Desert Island? Photos from the City Hall lauch/Rising Stars party The Hows of Political Activism at the Y Pastrami and Pickles with Rep. Anthony Weiner Editorial: When the Council Fears Debate The View from Albany: Rivalries and Détentes as Albany’s Old Guard Meets New Guard by Alan Chartock Read the Fine Print on Library Funding by City Council Member Vincent Gentile Observation: At the Empire State Pride Agenda Dinner, Highlights and Pitfalls by Allen Roskoff
Crowley on Malcolm Smith and Gay Marriage
Rep. Joseph Crowley is the new Queens County Democratic chair, and was one of the prime supporters of Malcolm Smith’s bid to become the new State Senate minority leader. At the press conference celebrating his selection, Smith faced several questions from reporters about his stance on legalizing gay marriage. As Smith deflected the questions, Crowley joined Rep. Charles Rangel (D-Manhattan) and outgoing Minority Leader David Paterson (D-Manhattan) in raising his hand to support the legislation.
City Hall caught up with Crowley to discuss how central the issue is to his support of Smith now, and in the future.
City Hall: If Malcolm Smith becomes leader of the State Senate and does not push the legalization of same sex marriage, will you be disappointed?
Joseph Crowley: We’re a long ways from that. I’d first have to see just what shape legislation takes. Obviously, if it’s under Democratic leadership there could be more opportunity than not to move something. But it’s a two-house process, a two-step process, and the support of the governor as well.
CH: Senator Smith seemed to be pulling back from supporting it.
JC: Well, he indicated that he supported Sen. Duane’s legislation in the past.
CH: Because he was a good soldier, he said.
JC: Some people support it because they’re good soldiers. Some people support it because they believe in the cause. And we’ll take it no matter what way we get it.
CH: Would you pull back support from Smith if he does not support same sex marriage legislation?
JC: That’s a long ways off, and I’d have to just see if things develop first. There’s more than one issue that goes into driving someone to support someone for a position of leadership like this. That’s an issue I care about, that’s an issue that Tom Duane cares about, and Tom is supporting Malcolm at this time. But we’ll see how things develop.
CH: In the echelon of important issues, where does this rank?
JC: A lot of this is nationally-driven, a lot of this is depending on what the courts are saying and dictating, a lot of things are happening in Massachusetts today in recognizing out-of-state gay marriage as well. It’s an ever-evolving issue and what is happening today can be completely different from what is happening in two years, when we may be in a position of power.
CH: But you want it to be New York State law?
JC: I would like to see it become New York State law, same as Eliot Spitzer has said it, same as others have said it as well.