Sheldon Silver runs New York State. He's the last man standing,
If he can suggest who else controls New York's fiscal and legislative agenda, the Assembly Speaker is more than welcome to submit a name or two.
Andrew Cuomo's first challenge, if he runs for governor, will be to counter Silver's stranglehold on state government.
Governor Andrew Cuomo cannot allow himself to be pushed around by the Manhattan liberal who rules New York State. This will be the breakout moment for Cuomo, if the next governor is Cuomo.
This guest essay by Pat Burke in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle described Silver as the "last man standing" from Albany's infamous "three men in a room" (not to be confused with "the three amigos" or "three blind mice").
"How does the speaker maintain his power? Is it good for New York to have one person have this much power? What benefit does the speaker derive from his position of power? Former Sen. Joe Bruno and Govs. Paterson and Spitzer seemed fine until their worlds blew up."
It's Tammany Hall like politics.
It's an autocratic system, with rules that trap people. It's a legislative chess game. It's time to break many of those rules and stop playing chess in Albany.
The New York Post called Sheldon Silver "The Shadow King" ...
No matter what happens to Paterson, the Assembly Speaker is running New York.
Only if we let him.
“He is one of the wiliest, smartest people in politics,” says one Democratic strategist who’s known Silver for more than 30 years. “He knows the levers of power.”
“He has no ideology,” adds a senior Albany pol who served with Silver in the Assembly. “I don’t think he really feels strongly about anything. He loves the fight — he loved fighting with [Gov. George] Pataki. It’s about power, and I think he has total power. I can’t imagine anyone challenging him.”
The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reminded people to keep an eye on Silver's realm, the State legislature.
They noted how Ed Koch is forming a good government coalition to challenge incumbents.
Koch knows all too well what these fights entail. His reform Democrats took down a modern incarnation of Tammany in Manhattan during the mid-1960s.
When do they reform Democrats finally sit down with the Republicans and Conservatives to make this a political war with some teeth?
Republicans won't do it alone. Conservatives need to be heeded. Conservatives were putting forge tea parties before there were tea parties, 50 years ago. When Republicans and Democrats take these reformers seriously, maybe New York's problems will finally be addressed.
In the meantime, Mr. Silver is playing a neat and powerful game of divide and conquer between regions. New York City is pitted against suburban Westchester and Long Island. Westchester and Long Island battle among themselves. Upstate is leveraged by bosses in both parties.
At the end of the day, Silver's urban coalition rules. Blame the bosses on Long Island and perhaps at times in Westchester for failing to drop the political expediency many years ago. Blame Joe Bruno and an upstate coalition that toyed with reforms, only to be devoured by their own excess before, during and after George Pataki.
And since it is happening to Democrats in the Executive Chamber, the last question is for Andrew Cuomo.
How are you going to change things, Governor Cuomo?
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