Sampson gone as Senate minority leader

From the Daily News:

Senate Minority Leader John Sampson should enjoy the rest of the year — because his tenure as the chamber’s top Democrat is likely to end at the start of 2013.

Senate Democratic insiders say there is virtually no chance Sampson will return as leader should the Dems capture the majority in the fall elections. And there is little likelihood he will be retained as Dem boss if the effort falls short.

“The writing is on the wall,” one said.

Sampson (D-Brooklyn) is personally well-regarded by Democrats and many Senate GOPers.

But this isn’t personal — it’s politics.

His leadership has come under fire after a string of head-scratching decisions that left many Dems angry and embarrassed.

In December, he selected controversial lawyer Ravi Batra as the Senate minority's sole representative on the state ethics commission despite outcry from his rank-and-file.

The last straw likely came when Sampson recently decided to give his top aide a $50,000-a-year raise. A number of his members exploded after learning about it in the Daily News — and the pay hike was quickly rescinded.

“These bad decisions on top of other ones he made basically made it clear that John can’t be the leader,” one high-ranking Dem said bluntly.

Meanwhile, a breakaway group of four Democrats who formed their own independent caucus have indicated they will not return if Sampson remains. (The four will be needed to return to the fold if the Dems have any chance of retaking the majority.)

Who would succeed Sampson in the fractured caucus isn’t clear.