Marriage Equality Bill #1 On Tomorrow's NY Senate Agenda, Anti-Gay Sen. Diaz Promises Something "Big"

Marriage equality is finally, after months and months of wrangling, slated to be the very first bill to be voted on in tomorrow's special session of the NY Senate called by Gov. Paterson. But Sen. Ruben Diaz promises to do something "big" to thwart the vote from happening.

Even though the Senate has so far only passed five of the 55 bills the governor put on today's agenda, the new proclamation includes an additional 10 bills, and same-sex marriage is No. 1. I asked Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., who has pledged a rebellion if gay marriage comes to the floor of the Senate, what he will do tomorrow if this comes to pass. He said he will do "something," and assured me it will be "big." "Tomorrow we will have a good time," Diaz Sr. told the DN's Glenn Blain. "Maybe I'm not upset. Maybe I solve the whole the problem tomorrow. Maybe tomorrow we come to an agreement and decide who's really in control."

Asked if that means he might switch sides and join the Republicans, the Bronx senator balked. "Maybe tomorrow...Maybe. I don't know. I'm not saying anything...Who is asking me that? I don't know. Who knows what’s going to happen tomorrow. Tomorrow is always uncertain. Tomorrow may never come." To which Blain, to his credit, replied - completely deadpan: "I'm pretty sure tomorrow will come." Diaz Sr. put out a press release earlier today announcing an "historic meeting" between the Hispanic evangelical community and new Archbishop Timothy Nolan and Nolan's Madison Avenue residence. The senator told me he plans to cancel that get-together - no matter how historic - to stay in Albany.

As Diaz has been suspiciously quiet during these weeks of Senate chaos, he surely has something up his sleeve for tomorrow. I am not optimistic.