Senate Democatic Conference Leader John Sampson was downright evasive during a conference call with reporters this afternoon, repeatedly refusing to say how many of his 32 members will be on hand for tomorrow’s extraordinary session and whether he’ll be able to pass any deals that might spring up between now and then.

The call was ostensibly set up for Sampson to declare victory over the fact that New York is again a finalist for federal “Race to the Top” cash.

But the first question out of the box – from the uber-fabulous CapTon intern Bryan Terry (!) – was whether the Democrats will have enough bodies in the chamber to actually take up any legislation.

NY1 Capitol reporter Erin Billups Tweeted earlier today that Senate President Malcolm Smith is on vacation and won’t be back until week.

While side-stepping the question of whether Smith – or anyone else, for that matter – will be absent, Sampson insisted that tomorrow is about “resolving oustanding issues that the governor wants us to resolve,” adding: “Once those issues are resolved…we will be moving forward.”

“Once the governor and speaker and I resolve those outstanding issues, we will be ready to move forward,” Sampson said. “If they’re resolved tomorrow we will be ready to move forward tomorrow – Tuesday, whatever day it is.”

Sampson insisted the Senate Dems “are working very hard” and “are not falling down on our responsibilities.”

He then repeated some variation of that first quote over – and over, and over – as reporters tried in vain to get him to admit that he won’t have enough votes to make anything happen tomorrow.

When Sampson spokesman Travis Proulx asked is reporters had any final questions, and then asked Sampson for “final answers,” the leader replied: “32 is the final answer.”

Remember: This session was the governor’s idea, not Sampson’s.

In fact, the leader and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver set a deadline of the first week in August for (another) two-way final budget deal. Their one big concern was that the governor would somehow gum up the works.

Which, of course, he did.

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