Is it too soon to start calling Eliot Spitzer “embattled?”

At the very least, he’s sporting another prominent bruise after the release of a report today by Attorney General Andrew Cuomo finding that the governor’s aides acted improperly in an attempt to damage the reputation of Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno.  read more »

In order to qualify for $500 million in federal funding, state lawmakers would have to approve of Michael Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan by July 16.

And to do that, they'd have to, you know, meet.

A spokesman for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the highest profile holdout on the plan, said it hasn‘t been decided whether his house will be called back in by then.

“As of today, no date has been seen to come back to Albany,” spokesman Dan Weiler told me earlier. Another person who is obligated to be there whenever legislators are in session told me he’s not sure where he’ll be that day.

In the midst of another bruising fight in Albany, Eliot Spitzer found time to read to children in an early learning center in Albany earlier today. Spitzer told reporters gathered there that despite what they might read in the papers, he played no role in the state police monitoring of Joe Bruno's traveling. Spitzer also said he has never used his state-funded traveling for private or political purposes.

"I don’t have anything to do with it. We respond to a FOIL request. My use of state planes, cars, is done pursuit to very strict guidelines that when I became governor, I asked the ethics office to create. To make sure that things were done properly, that there was proper respect for public-private distinctions. We have been meticulous in doing that and I will continue to be because that is the nature of the government that I believe we should have."

You can hear the Spitzer and the press in this audio clip.

So far, there's no master list that actually says which members proposed which items, although Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno has released his version.

Money for the Long Island Maritime Museum ($22,500) and other educational projects, listed here.

Money for the Cornell University fluid milk pricing study ($60,000) and other economic development, transportation and projects, here.

In March, a dozen leaders of the Real Estate Board of New York met with Senator Smith to talk about tax-exempt financing for rental buildings and the newly rejiggered 421-a tax abatement program for new developments.

This doesn't bode well for an on-time budget.

Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno said that his conference would work through the weekend with Democrats to reconcile differences in Medicaid spending, school aide and other budget issues.

One senator, Thomas Libous of the Southern tier said "the law is being broken," because Democrats weren't participating in the meeting.

Ten days until deadline.

Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco has the answer:

"Speaker Silver is on strike against openness and transparency," said Tedisco.

In other budget news, the labor-backed Working Families Party is bucking the governor's proposals to reduce Medicaid spending.

A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno emailed to say, "Senator Golden has assured the Leader that his first priority is to maintain the Senate Majority. In fact, as the Regional Chair in NYC, Marty plans to redirect some of his resources to pick up a seat or two in 2008."