Misreadings

It was all just a misunderstanding.

State Sen. Darrel Aubertine's attempt to strike a deal with Sen. Dean G. Skelos to break the Senate's 31-31 deadlock on Thursday fell apart shortly after it had been brokered.

The reason was simple: later in the day, the two disagreed about what they had agreed upon.

The mutual goal was a good one — form a working relationship to restart Senate proceedings and finish the session responsibly. There was, and is, much unfinished business.

But the deal was not to be.

The north country Democrat and Long Island Republican agreed to have Sen. George H. Winner, R-Elmira, lead Thursday's session and Sen. David J. Valensky, D-Oneida, preside Monday.

But Mr. Skelos thought Mr. Aubertine was joining the coalition with the understanding that dissident Sen. Pedro Espada Jr., D-Bronx, would serve as president pro tempore of the legislative body.

During a second meeting with presumed Senate Majority Leader Skelos and other senators, Sen. Aubertine said that Democrats could not accept Sen. Espada as president, even for the two remaining sessions. To do so would be to embrace the idea that the June 8 Republican-led Senate coup had succeeded and was legitimate.

Accusations followed breakup of the short-lived pact. Sen. Skelos complained that Mr. Aubertine "gave me his word" and the north country legislator said that Pedro Espada was the stumbling block that killed the deal.

This is not the first "misunderstanding" involving Sen. Aubertine. Last year about this time, the senator thought he had been offered the leadership post at the New York Power Authority. Gov. David A. Paterson said he did not offer the job to Mr. Aubertine and termed the matter a "misunderstanding."

Then there was the time Mr. Aubertine, as an assemblyman, violated an ethics law that he had co-sponsored by hiring a family member for temporary work.

Yet another misunderstanding.

Such miscommunications and misapprehensions are getting old. To effectively represent his constituents, Sen. Aubertine must read situations accurately and understand the business at hand.