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Now this race is one I was hoping someone would help finance…. Sheldon Silver, in my opinion is the most powerful politician in New York State. He alone wielding his power and control over his ASSembly members can hold up any good legislation, can pass legislation that borders on communist and aligns with the communist manifesto and we can do nothing about it.

We do not elect him, but we are all effected by what he does and doesn’t do. He controls the Assembly, every Democrat there has to bow down and kiss his ring and th proof is when you follow the money. You know when your assemblyman comes home bearing gifts or bribes of money to buy your vote, they get that money by doing everything that Shelly tells them to do. There is no independent Democrat Assembly members, if there is they are quickly brought under control by Shelly refusing to give them even a simple office space or phone.

I can see him sitting on his throne with his hand out a forcing new reform minded candidates to kiss his ring or be destroyed. One person cannot and should not wield this much power over this state. He effects every individual in this state, we should be able to vote for him, but we can’t.

Rochester Billionaire Targets Silver With New PAC

Billionaire Thomas Golisano has set his sights on the Democratic speaker of the Assembly, Sheldon Silver, who may soon bear the brunt of the Rochester Republican’s new political action committee.

Mr. Golisano, a three-time gubernatorial contender who is forming a PAC to spread his wealth to candidates across the state who pledge their support for his movement against Albany’s establishment, is considering bankrolling an effort to topple Mr. Silver, the longest-serving Democratic speaker in state history.

The possibility that one of New York’s wealthiest residents, a sharp-tongued, politically unpredictable businessman who has a history of saturating the state airwaves with his self-financed political ads, may target Mr. Silver has provoked some concern within the speaker’s political operation, according to a knowledgeable source.

The involvement of Mr. Golisano in the 64th Assembly district race has the potential to deprive Mr. Silver of one of his strongest advantages: his overwhelming fund-raising lead over his two primary opponents.

Mr. Golisano’s PAC, which he is expected to announce next week, could finance political ads attacking Mr. Silver and lend a hand to the ground operation of one of his opponents.

A spokesman for Mr. Silver declined to comment.

The speaker, a Lower Manhattan representative who is likely to face a primary for the first time since 1986, has millions of campaign dollars at his disposal and broad name recognition from 32 years of incumbency.

Still, among those critical of Albany’s closed-door process and its cozy relationship with interest groups, Mr. Silver has become a magnet for criticism.

The speaker is not taking any chances. He has hired a prominent political consulting firm to manage his campaign and has tapped the resources of the Working Families Party, a labor-backed group that has endorsed his candidacy.

Mr. Silver is running against a nonprofit organizer, Paul Newell, and a contract lawyer, Luke Henry, although, with the petitioning process yet to be completed, neither candidate is officially on the September ballot.

A campaign aide to Mr. Newell said the candidate has not had any contact with Mr. Golisano but would reach out to him shortly. A spokeswoman for Mr. Henry was not immediately available for comment.

Neither candidate has yet to catch a big-name endorsement. Critics of Mr. Silver have held out hope that Mayor Bloomberg, who has butted heads with the speaker on a number of occasions, would offer his support, but the mayor thus far has stayed out of the race, at least publicly.