When Hiram Monserrate was convicted of a misdemeanor in October, Joseph Crowley led the call to oust Monserrate from his state senate seat, according to this Queens Gazette article. Crowley got his wish. The state senate kicked Monserrate out of office earlier this month. On a side note, Monserrate is actually running in the March 16 special election – he even stole Obama’s “Yes We Can” slogan.

Crowley’s move is more than getting the “bad guy” out of office. Crowley and Monserrate have had their differences in the past. In 2007, Crowley, the chairman of the Queens Democratic Party, did not invite Monserrate and Jose Peralta to an event honoring Malcolm Smith, the temporary President of the New York State legislature.

Monserrate voiced his concerns:

“I would like to be part of the host committee, but I was never asked,” Monserrate told the New York Daily News. “But the important thing is not the invitation itself but what it reveals. They don’t want to have anything to do with me or Peralta.”

Such public criticism couldn’t have sat well with Crowley. Peralta wasn’t as vocal as Monserrate, choosing just to note that he and Monserrate have never been chosen to host any Queens Democrat events. His decision seems to have kept him in good favor – Crowley now backs him for Monserrate’s seat.

The Daily News article added:

“Some Queens Democrats said, off the record, that the Monserrate slight is a product of the inordinate amount of power “the old guard” still holds over the Queens Democratic organization.”

Also, Monserrate and Pedro Espada Jr. voted against the Democratic Party last summer. The vote brought the New York legislature to a standstill. It seems Monserrate has run up against the established power, while Peralta has gone along with the status quo in Queens, and it may be paying off.