The Tale Of Two Democrats

The Popular Governor vs. The Unpopular Legislator...both from the same party, but both on opposite sides of public opinion

Respondents to an online poll by Crain's New York Business overwhelmingly agree
with Gov. Eliot Spitzer that Democratic Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is a
roadblock to reform in Albany and ought to be removed.

A little about Sheldon Silver; He has been Speaker of the State Assembly since 1994, when he replaced Saul Weprin (D-Queens) who passed away. He led the State Assembly through three Governors; Cuomo, Pataki and now Spitzer. Basically, he has led the State Assembly through it's entire history of being notoriously discombobulated. When a man has been in power for 17 years and has not made an already messed up body any better (perhaps worse), maybe it is time for him to go.

Then this;

Only 7% of respondents to the Crain's poll were unconditionally supportive of
Mr. Silver, while a full 73% said Mr. Silver should be removed, and 20% said the
matter should be settled by the Assembly, not the governor.

Shelly's on the wrong side of an overwhelmingly popular governor with an overwhelmingly popular agenda (Reform in Albany).

The election of Assemblyman Tom DiNapoli (D-Great Neck) as State Comptroller over the more qualified Martha Stark just shows how notoriously screwy the state legislature is. Martha Stark was quite a qualified individual, but she lost the election in the State House because she was effectively chosen by the Governor...and the State Assembly hates to agree with the Governor.

News Flash: Governor Spitzer won his electipn with 69% of the vote...the second largest landslide in the state history...I would call that a mandate, and with that percentage of New York's population behind you, it's no surprise Silver is not very popular. Voters wanted reform, they want Albany to work, and that's hard to do when you have the same old people running the place.

For years Silver's right hand man had been Majority Leader Paul Tokaz (D-Cheektowaga) from way up near Buffalo. Tokaz retired last year and was replaced by Democrat Dennis Gabryszak. The new Majority Leader is Ronald Canestrari (D-Cohoes), who is perhaps not ready to become Speaker. If Tokaz was still in the Assembly, this would be an easy clinch for him, but without him, a new Speaker may be hard to choose. It has been tradition, however, for the Speaker to come from New York City...but maybe it is time to give Upstate a chance to govern.

Nevertheless, Pataki is gone, so is Hevesi, and maybe it is time for Shelly Silver to step down too and for a new Speaker to take his place...and maybe take Joe Bruno with you.

Good Times in Albany for the next four years