Ruben Diaz Sr. (Photo: nysenate.gov)

State Senator Ruben Diaz sent a special New Year's-themed edition of his regular "What You Should Know" email newsletters this morning. In his year-end missive, Mr. Diaz took a series of shots at the State Senate with backhanded "political wishes" for the new IDC/GOP leadership coalition, "Uncle Tom" State Senator Malcolm Smith and State Senator Adriano Espaillat. 

Most of Mr. Diaz's "wishes" for next year involve the new leadership in the State Senate. He expressed his hope State Senator John Sampson, who just lost his position as leader of the Democrats in the chamber, will "find better and more faithful friends." Mr. Diaz also wished for the new Democratic leader, Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to "buy a back-stabbing-proof vest."

The leadership coalition between the breakaway Independent Democratic Conference and the State Senate Republicans has been sharply criticized for lacking any minority members besides IDC State Senator Malcolm Smith. In his New Year's list, Mr. Diaz echoed this criticism when he wished for Mr. Smith "to find another minority to join him in order for him not to be the only Uncle Tom in the house." He also predicted the IDC's expectation the Senate Republicans will back a "progressive agenda" will prove wrong and wished for the dissident Democrats to have "a parachute to allow them to make their landing easy and soft" when the GOP pulls back their support.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has argued it is his job to remain above the fray in the various State Senate leadership disputes. However, Mr. Diaz, like some other Democrats, clearly thinks the Democratic governor should have done more to fight the coalition and support a Democratic majority in the Senate. One of his New Year's wishes was for Gov. Cuomo "to be honest enough to admit that he has been the creator of the mess in the New York State Senate."

As usual, Mr. Diaz's missive also included a reference to his closest former colleagues in the State Senate: Carl Kruger, Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada. Mr. Diaz is the last remaining member of these "Four Amigos" still in the Senate. Mr. Kruger received a seven-year prison sentence after a bribery case in April. Mr. Monserrate was expelled from the State Senate in 2010 after being convicted of slashing his girlfriend with broken glass and was sentenced to two years in prison on an unrelated corruption charge earlier this month. Mr. Espada pleaded guilty to corruption charges in October and is now facing up to a decade in prison. After this tough year for the "Amigos," Mr. Diaz said he hopes they can "get together in 2013 while they are away and write a book" giving the IDC instructions on how to deal with the Senate Republicans.

Along with weighing in on the Senate leadership situation, Mr. Diaz's list included a slam directed at State Senator Adriano Espaillat, who unsuccessfully ran for Congressman Charlie Rangel's seat in the House of Representatives this year. Mr. Diaz said Mr. Espaillat should "get a big handkerchief to wipe away his saliva" in 2013 because Mr. Rangel "will be there for many years more" and former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV is "warming up in the bullpen."

Read Mr. Diaz's full year-end top ten list below.

This year on December 31st, when I bend my knees in church and make my New Year's resolutions, you should know that I will be making the following political wishes for some people:

1. For Senator John Sampson, to find better and more faithful friends.

2. For reporters Bob Kappstatter, from the Bronx Times and Jim Odato from the Times Union, to learn how to be impartial and objective journalists.

3. For Senator Jeff Klein and his Gang of Four, to find a parachute to allow them to make their landing easy and soft when Senator Dean Skelos and the Republicans - fearing the Conservative Party - reject their support for a progressive agenda, leaving the Gang of Four out in the cold.

4. For Senator Malcolm Smith, to find another minority to join him in order for him not to be the only Uncle Tom in the house.

5. For Assemblyman-Elect Luis Sepulveda, to take it a little bit easier with a little more patience and wait for his time, because it will come.

6. For my three friends, Carl Kruger, Pedro Espada, and Hiram Monserrate, to try to get together in 2013 while they are away and write a book instructing Jeff Klein and the Gang of Four how to deal with Dean Skelos and what to expect from him.

7. To Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins, to buy a back-stabbing proof vest.

8.  For Senator Adriano Espaillat, to get a big handkerchief to wipe away his saliva because Charlie Rangel will be there for many years more - and aside from that, Adam Clayton Powell is warming up in the bullpen.

9. For Governor Andrew Cuomo, to be honest enough to admit that he has been the creator of the mess in the New York State Senate.

10. As for myself, should these nine other wishes come true, that I will be able to take a break and keep my mouth shut.

This is Senator Reverend Rubén Díaz and this is what you should know.  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

The two have a long history. Not only did Mr. Rangel defeat Mr. Powell's father in 1970 to win his seat in Congress--a race that pitted a longtime incumbent against a young upstart that has reminds many of Mr. Rangel's current run against State Senator Adriano Espaillat--but the Assemblyman challenged Mr. Rangel twice, once in 1994 and again in 2010.

The two have had a long and contentious history, with Mr. Rangel once saying of Mr. Powell: "I think God has really blessed him with his dad’s good’s looks, his dad’s name, and then God gave up on him.”

For his part, Mr. Powell has softened a bit on his one-time rival, promising that he wouldn't run against him a third time since he was too well-liked in Harlem.  Mr. Powell may have his own motivations however: A win by Mr. Espaillat would likely shut Mr. Powell out of office for years to come.

Adam Clayton Powell IV (Photo: Facebook)

Former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV told The Politicker he doesn't really think Mayor Bloomberg will go to jail, but he's still outraged about the maneuvers the mayor made to secure a third term. Mr. Powell also discussed his future political plans.

Last week, Mr. Powell said Mayor Bloomberg would be sent to prison in an El Diario roundup of year-end political predictions. "Bloomberg won’t finish his third term. He’ll be charged and sent to jail, and Bill Thompson will win a special election for mayor," Mr. Powell said in remarks translated from the original Spanish.

Mr. Powell clarified his comments in a conversation with The Politicker this afternoon.

"Another prediction--I'm going to go to Albany and lobby this year so they can enact a new charge in the penal code called obstruction of democracy for getting himself a new third term and for the eviction of the Occupy Wall Street protesters," Mr. Powell said before quickly adding, "Obviously, I'm kidding about all this."

Though he doesn't actually think the mayor will be charged with anything, Mr. Powell thinks it was unforgivable for the mayor to pursue a third term.

"I have never, in my 25 years of politics and government, I have never seen something so undemocratic as what Bloomberg did to change the charter to allow himself to run a third time by saying the city was in tough economic times and 'I'm the best one to do it,'" Mr. Powell said. "That's so arrogant and undemocratic."

In 2008, Mayor Bloomberg got the City Council to sign off on an extension in the city's term limits law that allowed him to seek a third term because he said his expertise was needed due to the financial crisis. At the time, Mr. Powell backed a proposal that attempted to block Bloomberg's third mayoral bid by requiring a public referendum before extending term limits in New York City. However, Mr. Powell said he's not personally opposed to getting rid of term limits.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm against term limits, but this is what the people asked for twice," Mr. Powell said.

Voters initially upheld a limit of two four year terms for city elected officials in a public referendums held in 1993 and 1996. The extension of the term limits law that allowed Mayor Bloomberg to win his third term in 2009 was eventually reversed by another public referendum in 2010.

In addition to his thoughts on Mayor Bloomberg, Mr. Powell also discussed his political future with The Politicker. Mr. Powell gave up his Assembly seat in 2010 to mount an unsuccessful primary challenge against Congressman Charles Rangel. Mr. Powell previously attempted to unseat Congressman Rangel in 1994. Congressman Rangel also defeated Mr. Powell's father, civil rights leader and former Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr., in 1970.

In the past, Mr. Powell has expressed interest in running for Congressman Rangel's seat again, but with the congressman not planning to retire, Mr. Powell doesn't think he'll enter the next election.

"I'm not saying 2012, I prefer waiting. You never know what's going to happen with the lines, they're being drawn as we speak," Mr. Powell said. "Rangel's already made mention he's going run. I'm not going to challenge him."

Though he probably won't throw his hat in the ring in 2012, Mr. Powell left open the possibility he'll make a run for Congress again further down the road.

"Most likely, I won't run, but in two years, four years, we'll see what happens," Mr. Powell said.

Adam Clayton Powell IV (Photo: Facebook)

Former Assemblyman Adam Clayton Powell IV doesn't think it will be a good year for Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Mr. Powell gave his grim prognosis after El Diario columnist Roberto Perez asked him and other local politicians to give their predictions for 2012. ""Bloomberg no terminará su tercer término. Será acusado y enviado a la cárcel y Bill Thompson ganará una elección especial de alcalde", Mr. Powell said, or in other words: Bloomberg won't finish his third term. He'll be charged and sent to jail, and Bill Thompson will win a special election for mayor.

Mr. Powell is the son of civil rights leader and former Congressman Adam Clayton Powell Jr. He has served in the City Council and as Assemblyman for the 68th District in Manhattan in a political career that lasted nearly two decades. Mr. Powell has mounted two unsuccessful campaigns to unseat Congressman Charles Rangel and has expressed interest in running for the seat again.

Mr. Thompson was a close runner up to Mayor Bloomberg in the 2009 mayoral election. Shortly afterward, he announced his intention to run again in 2013, but he's been rather quiet since then.

Mr. Powell didn't clarify what he thinks Mayor Bloomberg will be arrested for. As of this writing, he has not responded to a request for comment on this story.