THE leader of the renegade Democrats known as the “Gang of Three” has bluntly told Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos that he can’t back him for re-election in January.
Tough-talking Brooklyn Sen. Carl Kruger, in a private meeting with Skelos (R-Nassau), declared: “I’m not going to put my balls on the table to buy into a Republican coalition with you as the leader,” a source close to Kruger told The Post.
The source said Kruger’s salty declaration came after a private meeting with Gov. Paterson, who made it clear that he “hates Skelos and won’t tolerate him as the new leader.”
“Gang” members, including Kruger, are unhappy with current Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) and have indicated they’re prepared to back a Republican as the new majority leader in January, when the Senate will have a Democratic majority for the first time since 1965.
Skelos has been offering gang members a variety of inducements, including lucrative committee assignments if they vote for a “coalition” with the GOP in January.
A source close to Paterson confirmed the governor’s antipathy toward Skelos, and said it was rooted in his belief that the longtime Nassau GOP activist “is mean, can’t be trusted and is not someone you can work with as a colleague.”
The source also confirmed the widespread belief that Paterson “could live” with another Republican as the majority leader if gang members back someone other than Skelos.
“It’s anybody but Dean, anybody but Dean,” the source said.
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Top aides to Paterson have secretly contacted Steve Boggess, the top Senate Republican administrator, for help in finding a new majority leader.
Paterson’s aides contacted Boggess, the Senate’s $196,000-a-year longtime secretary who is departing to become a lobbyist, seeking information on the “internal dynamics of the Gang of Three.”
“The contacts are a further indication that the governor is not unhappy with what the gang is up to. He’s trying to see what role he can play best in the dynamic,” said a source in the Senate.
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Skelos will bring the Senate back to Albany in two weeks for a final session supposedly aimed at helping Paterson cut state spending.
But while Skelos has promised to pass a package of budget-cutting legislation that was supposed to be the purpose of a special session called by Paterson last month, the budget cuts will be “one house only” proposals – and won’t be approved by the Democrat-controlled Assembly.