The following are excerpts which was posted by Capital Confidential over the past two hours:

Saying they are staging a “sit-in,” a number of Assembly members walked to the Second Floor, apparently to make a statement about the lack of leadership on budget talks. More to come.

UPDATE: The group of legislators, accompanied by Speaker Sheldon Silver’s slightly harried-looking spokesman Dan Weiller, was allowed into the Red Room by members of the governor’s security detail. Members of the press made it halfway down the corridor to the room before being turned around.

Assembly members taking part include Jack McEneny, Deborah Glick, Linda Rosenthal, Sandra Galef, Al Stirpe, Andrew Hevesi, Michael Benjamin, Gary Pretlow, RoAnn Destito, Michelle Schimel, Mike Spano, Aileen Gunther, William Magnarelli, Brian Kavanagh, Ellen Jaffee and late-arriving participants Steve Englebright, Tim Gordon, Amy Paulin, Chuck Lavine, Fred Thiele, David Koon and Bob Reilly.

While waiting to be let through the glass doors, which had been shut by the troopers — apparently worried about a gang-rush by LCA members — Englebright said the excursion was intended to send a message to the governor that the time had come to take leadership of the stalled budget process.

“He likes to talk on the radio and the television,” said Englebright, who with Sen. Jose Serrano recently reached out to the governor in hopes of securing funds to keep more than 50 state parks open.

Englebright said Silver had not been informed of his members’ decision to visit the executive chamber.

When asked why the Speaker wasn’t part of the group, Gordon appeared to choose his words very deliberately. “I think the Speaker has a leadership style that is his own,” he said.

Paulin said the march was “a spontaneous reaction to inaction.”

UPDATE 2: The governor told reporters gathered at the door that he would meet with the legislators in the Red Room, but called the march a “ploy” and suggested the members’ complaints should be directed toward Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.

“They’re saying they are frustrated, that there aren’t enough meetings, they’re being asked to stay [by constituents], a number of different complaints and critiques that they’re making, and what I find astonishing is they’re asking questions of me that I thought should be directed to the speaker,” Paterson said. “So, I’ll do my best to try to talk to them and relay their concerns back to the speaker since they seem to be having a communication problem.”

“I don’t know what helps and what doesn’t help around here, but it certainly helps to brighten up the day around here,” Paterson said. “I have returned every call that every member has made to my office. This is some kind of a ploy, I don’t know where it’s coming from or why. I have been trying to have public leaders meetings every week…I have been trying to have private meetings, including even the two members of the minorities, and if this is going to be the way they act, I’m not going to carry their water for them anymore. You know doesn’t want to have meetings around here.”

Paterson was prompted for forgetting to mention Silver’s name as he listed the names of those leaders he is trying to meet with. “I forgot him?” Paterson said, dryly. “Oh, I’m sorry.”

After about an hour with the governor, 27 Assembly members and the governor emerged from Gov. David Paterson’s quarters and suggested they were friends again.

Smiling and gathered together, the group allowed the governor to address the media: “We moved the ball forward considerably today,” Paterson said. However no one could say how specifically, although Paterson said it was good to meet and talk. “Unfortunately we are all going to have to make decisions that are not in our best political interest.”

“The meeting was cordial. We exchanged some ideas. It will help with the process ,” said Assemblyman John McEneny, D-Albany, who spoke for those who spent time with the governor in the unscheduled meeting. “We believe this is a postive step toward the goal we are all seeking.”

He said he intended to report to Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver privately.

(Source: Times Union)