Silver's Empire Cracking: Second Democrat Calls for Resignation

HT: New York Daily News

In the aftermath of Assemblyman Vito Lopez's resignation, due to constant inappropriate behavior with female staffers and interns, New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has faced the wrath of good government groups and editorial boards for his role in attempting to cover up Lopez's lewd harassment.

The worst being a secret $103,000 taxpayer funded bribe Speaker Sheldon authorized to silence two staffers who accused Lopez of wrongdoing, just years after authorizing a similar "settlement" to a young woman who alleged one of his personal aides engaged in sexual misconduct.

With all of Silver's recent bribery - four of his Assembly Democrats either resigning or facing corruption charges this year alone and his legacy for heavy handed legislating that often targets opposition within his ranks - calls have started to drown Albany for the two decade long reign of Silver to cease and desist.

However, with Democrats controlling 104 (69%) of the 150 Assembly seats, only they can remove the corrupt Silver.... and after a political empire built upon corruption and intimidation has been in place for decades, the likelihood of that occurring is unbelievably minuscule.

But there is hope: Assemblywoman Inez Barron, a Brooklyn Democrat, became the second Democrat member to call for Speaker Silver's resignation - joining Buffalo area Assemblyman Michael Kearns. It reportedly didn't faze Silver has he simply said "she never voted for me for speaker in the first place."

We're still a long, long ways from the 53 Assembly Democrats needed to overthrow Silver from power, however, with pressure mounting on Upstate Democrats and female legislators to take a stand against a culture of corruption and harassment in Albany's lower house, we might just begin to see more and more join the growing chorus calling to remove Silver and institute new leadership.

What say you?