For instance, Assemblyman Edward P. Ra, Republican of Long Island, became supportive of a measure to create a fund to help illegal immigrants pay for college after casual chats with Mr. Moya at karaoke. “It was just two friends discussing an issue and why it was important to him and his community,” Mr. Ra said. “It made it more personal.”
But karaoke is about the spectacle more than the sidebars.
A crowd favorite is a Senate staff member who covers Cee Lo Green’s “Forget You” (better than Cee Lo himself, some say) and does a split during his performance. Assemblyman Andrew P. Raia, another Long Island Republican, works the crowd as he sings, holding a cordless microphone and twisting through a dancing mob as he belts out “Sweet Caroline” and implores his fellow revelers to join in.
