MOTHERS GROUP GETS NEW ALLY

A battle has erupted between some of the most high-profile and adamant
advocates of rolling back the Rockefeller Drug Laws and their former ally,
the Assembly Democratic majority. Randy Credico, spokesman for Mothers of
the New York Disappeared, whose members are either former drug convicts or
have relatives in prison on drug convictions, is attacking Assembly Speaker
Sheldon Silver and his fellow Democrats over plans to pass a drug law reform
bill today.

Credico, who repeatedly stood with Silver at news conferences in the past,
said the Assembly's reform plan doesn't go far enough for him or the mothers
group. He wants Silver to hold off on passing the bill until after a rally
he's planned Wednesday in New York City for supporters of full repeal. So
far, the speaker has refused.

What really galls Credico is that he helped Silver by opposing a limited
reform bill proposed by Gov. George Pataki last year that would have allowed
many of the highest level, or Class A1, drug offenders to go free, including
many family members of the group.

Silver feared the bill's passage would give Pataki an excuse to avoid more
difficult drug law reform issues: judicial discretion and sentence
restructuring for lower level offenders. The Republican-controlled Senate
has passed the bill twice.

Now Silver wants to pass a reform bill that is little changed from
legislation his house proposed last year, Credico said. He accused the
speaker of "tactically caving."

"We took a lot of flak for standing by (Silver's) side and burning the
governor," Credico said. "Now he wants to take the thunder out of this
movement. People could have been out a year early. They stayed in
(expletive) prison in support of him, he can certainly wait three days."
Credico is so angry that he spent the weekend talking to Chauncey Parker,
Pataki's Criminal Justice Services director. It's possible the Mothers might
turn their backs on Silver entirely and throw in their lot with Pataki,
Credico said, even though the possibility of getting full repeal with him is
even slimmer than with the Assembly.

Credico is feeling empowered by his newfound alliance with hip-hop mogul
Russell Simmons and rapper Sean Combs, now known as P. Diddy. Both are
scheduled to appear at Wednesday's rally, although as of Sunday, Credico was
having trouble securing a permit for the event from the New York City Police
Department.

Simmons and his considerable finances were brought to Credico by none other
than former U.S. Housing Secretary Andrew Cuomo, who is using this issue to
help revive his political career after angering fellow Democrats by
challenging ex-State Comptroller H. Carl McCall in last year's gubernatorial
race, then quitting one week before the primary.

Some Democrats grumble Cuomo is "using" the Mothers group for political
gain, making Silver look bad in the process. With all the bruised feelings
he has to assuage, they say, this isn't likely to help much.