ZOPA, BATNA update

Back to BATNA:

"Having a good BATNA increases your negotiating power. Therefore, it is important to improve your BATNA whenever possible. Good negotiators know when their opponent is desperate for an agreement. When that occurs, they will demand much more, knowing their opponent will have to give in. If the opponent apparently has many options outside of negotiation, however, they are likely to get many more concessions, in an effort to keep them at the negotiating table. Thus making your BATNA as strong as possible before negotiating, and then making that BATNA known to your opponent will strengthen your negotiating position. "

Good grief, it makes you wonder if anyone on the Spitzer team ACTUALLY thought that the Legislature was "desperate for an agreement?"

Shelly had counted all of the votes when he said: "“(Spitzer) relies on a process that was flawed outright. In his heart, he knows it was flawed.” Which was followed by: "“This is one of 200 to 300 issues that will be contentious in the course of the legislative session. I have reason to believe that we could probably agree with the governor on 195 out of 200 issues, and I think there has to be respect that there may be some times when we will disagree with him. Period.”

That was a stiletto hidden behind Silver's cloak -- they never saw it coming -- which makes you wonder how they'll manage to outlast the legislators.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth Benjamin reports in the Times Union Capitol Confidential blog: "At least four aides to Gov. Eliot Spitzer were in the chamber during the vote: Communications Director Darren Dopp, Director of Legislative Affairs Jim Clancy, Deputy Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs Marty Mack and Senior Advisor for Intergovernmental Affiars Mike Schell.

Clancy, Mack and Schell were in the balcony; they were spotted flipping through the “face book” - the directory that includes legislators names, photos and contact information - while votes were being cast. Dopp was standing against the rear wall of the Assembly chamber. "

They were going through the FACE BOOK?

Youch, it makes you wonder WTF is going on with Spitzer's team? I guess this means they don't know each and every legislator's strength, weakness and above all where their skeletons are buried.

This is pitiful and reminds me of the photo today's New York Times.

We are whistling while NY crumbles all around us.