Beware a Democratic base scorned

Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada tried to pull a Joe Lieberman, throwing Democratic leaders in Albany into a tailspin.

But they apparently didn’t reckon on the fact that state Senators are far, far closer to their communities than US Senators.

Monserrate in particular is at the center of a firestorm in his Jackson Heights community, which has exactly zero interest in their lawmaker partnering with the GOP.

Already under indictment for allegedly abusing his girlfriend, Monserrate is now a pariah among Albany lawmakers and increasingly so in his own neighborhood.

Yesterday he refused to confirm that he supported Republican Dean Skelos as majority leader. What began as a coup has degenerated into hand-wringing.

If the wheels hadn’t already come off this whole enterprise, I’d say the wheels are about to come off this whole enterprise.