As the saga in Albany drags into its third disastrous week, the state Senate is nowhere near a power-sharing agreement that would allow it to actually focus on doing the work senators are elected and paid to do.

The latest chapter in the embarrassment played out Tuesday as Democrats gathered in the Senate chamber for the first time since walking out on June 8 and then locked the doors briefly before their Republican counterparts joined them.

But “join them” couldn't be further from what happened, as both parties tried to simultaneously hold sessions, each shouting over the other party's speakers.

Gov. David Paterson had called a special session for Tuesday in hopes that some work might be accomplished. In the end, nothing was.

The most pressing problem, with both parties controlling 31 votes, is who gets to control the Senate.

Democrat Sen. Malcolm Smith claims that he's still the Senate majority leader, having been given the title by his colleagues back in January. Republican Sen. Dean Skelos says the result of his party's June 8 coup makes him majority leader. Skelos has the backing of Sen. Pedro Espada, who, although a Democrat, has now aligned himself with the Republicans and says he's the Senate's president.

Confused? You're not alone.

Both parties, of course, are blaming the other for failing to come to a compromise, and senators on both sides, our own Michael Nozzolio and David Valesky included, aren't doing the people of the state any good by continuing to take orders from their party leaders.

Any number of rank-and-file senators could come together and work out a true bipartisan coalition, a true power sharing agreement that could end this national embarrassment, publicly announce their deal and then invite others to join them in an effort to do real business.

We're still waiting to see if any of them have the will - and the guts - to make it happen.