State senator threatens lobbyists ...

If it weren't for the fact that Fred Dicker wrote this story, I'd find it nearly impossible to believe.

According to Dicker's story in the NY Post:
State Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith told a conclave of lobbyists in Kingston last week that their clients would be shut out of a Democrat-controlled Senate in January if they didn't pony up large contributions now, a "shocked" longtime lobbyist has told The Post.
Now, we all know the way politics works. Them that has gets ... and those that don't play along get shut out. But that's the dirty underbelly of the game. Now it appears to be official policy of the Democrats in the State Senate.

First off, it's highly illegal. Not to mention unethical.

Dicker says, "Repeated attempts to reach Smith for comment were unsuccessful, and he didn't return messages left on his cellphone. Curtis Taylor, his press secretary, also refused to discuss the specifics of the event, even though he was among those present."

You may or may not recall that Smith recently boycotted a fundraiser in Niagara County on account of the "nose tweaking" by Dan Rivera, chairman of the Niagara County Democratic Party.