More ageism! This is really appalling. Please make up your mind about which terrible age group is the best slur for me.

But no, I'm not bitter today. I'm happy about Squadron's victory, to which I contributed a vote. (I don't think democracy is a "bitch", really, but it's too bad that so few people participate in these most important primaries.) We're just getting started here, and we'll be at it long after Silver loses or retires. I'm not particularly caught up on how he leaves.

"Read what the Times had to say about Silver's resounding support from the People:"

What, "the eggheads at the NY Times" — how many times a can you contradict yourself? Take your political smackdown diva championship routine elsewhere. Discussion of your favorite guy is going to die down here anyway, until the next interesting piece of legislation is sent to Albany.

Read what the Times had to say about Silver's resounding support from the People:

"Mr. Silver’s overwhelming victory solidified his status as one of Albany’s most enduring and powerful figures. With 68 percent of the vote, he did not appear impaired either by his high-profile role last spring in blocking Mr. Bloomberg’s congestion pricing plan, or by the endorsement of one of his challengers, Paul Newell, by the city’s three major newspapers, including The New York Times."

Ain't democracy a bitch?

This election was a loss for Sheldon Silver and he knows it.

One-third of the voters turned out in a lightly contested election to tell the most powerful politician in New York State that they'd like to see him go find a new job (or, excuse me, they'd like to see him leave the state house and focus his full-time energy on his secretive law practice.)

Considering:

- The huge amount of pork that Sheldon Silver is able to bestow upon his constituents.
- That incumbent Assembly members typically win these kinds of elections with Saddam-like 95-to-5 margins.
- That Silver's last real challenger only came away with 14% of the vote.

Considering all of that -- the number of people who came out against Silver is remarkable -- especially since Newell isn't even the right demographic to really win that district.

With Squadron taking down Connor and more and more New Yorkers becoming aware of the ways in which Sheldon Silver's state government screws over the people of New York City, we will see quite a few of these 20+ year incumbents being taken out in the next two or three elections.

Paul Newell and his supporters can be proud of the work they did in this election. This is just the beginning.

68%, despite Daily News, NY Post, NY Times and the fabulous pundits at streetsblog's opposition, we, the People, ignore all of you.

You think downtown voters pay attention to right-wingers like Rupert Murdoch, the eggheads at the NY Times' Editorial Board, or billionaire conservative Morty Zucker and his tabloid?

The voters reject streetsblog darling, Newell!

Don't you just love democracy?

Well, November is coming. At least you have the right-wing Republicans to extend your hatred, not liberal legislators who promote affordable housing, a wonderful park on the Hudson River, and great schools here downtown.

Also: That's ageist !!!

Indeed, I can think of one.

What assemblymembers truly thought of CP is an open question, because they simply don't have a record of voting on their convictions. They do whatever Shelly tells them to do. And it was in his power to make the measure pass. Bringing things up for a vote is his JOB; what he thinks about it is irrelevant. So he is guilty by default.

I think the Assembly has an obligation to New York City because it contains a good half of the entire state's residents. And the city legislature did support CP. The assemblymember from Cayuga County should have voted for CP because CP has nothing to do with Cayuga County and shouldn't even require his approval.

You seem exceptionally reasonable, so let me explain.

Silver took no position on CP. He just did not let it come out of caucus for a vote. It would have failed because hardly any assemblymembers supported it.

Can you name more than a handful of CP supporters? I can't. Few Manhattan assemblymembers supported it. I can only think of one or two. So, if the local didn't support it, and the others were adamantly against it, what chance did it have?

Fact is, there are more assemblymembers in the four other boros than in manhattan. They all opposed CP.

Silver should have let it come for a vote, I feel, but do you really care how some assemblymember from Cayuga County would have voted?

So, to blame Silver for CP failure is beating the wrong horse. It was Bloomberg's failure to think it out and present it as a thoughtful and prepared package that killed it.

But, God forbid, we pick on Bloomie.

I would like you to address one issue- congestion pricing. Implementing it would disproportionally benefit your district. CP is basically the kind of pet project that Shelly has been bringing to your district all these years. Do you agree with his decision to dump CP?

Shelly's abuse of power is symptomatic of Albany's larger problem- favors, machine politics, and backroom decisions instead of democracy and rule of law. Maybe Newell, if he wins, ends up being just like Shelly in a few years. Or maybe he will lead the charge to bring back democracy to a legislature in sore need of it. We'll find out soon.

Thanks for the reminder that "incestuous" is the very definition of Albany in the Shelly Silver era.

I love toying with you, with a soupçon of mockery thrown in for good measure. Like the way a cat toys with a dying mouse.

Whose worried when you yourself admit Shelly is going to win?

And what have you done to defeat Silver? You think anyone who votes in our district pays attention to your bletherings on this incestuous blog?

Shelly will be here until he's ready to retire, because the voters here love him. He will be here when your little lap dog, Newell, will be long forgotten.

You are the typical naif who thinks every politician is corrupt except the ones you vote for.

"There are no terror in your threats", Marc. Absolutely none.

One persons "sell-out" is another person's coalition builder. The same people hating on Shelly for Congestion Pricing loved him when he squashed Bloomberg's Stadium on the West Side with the help of Brodsky.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day.

You ever hear of Ray Dowd? Bet not.
What can I say? There are masochists in our society. Perhaps this current contender likes getting beat.

"Currying favor"
Hmm... peculiar choice of words.
I prefer to use "showing thanks"

Finally, if you compare Shelly Silver to Kim Jong Il, you are one sick puppy.

Barring a minor miracle, the reult of Tuesday's election in the 64th is a foregone conclusion. If Newell can capture even 25 percent of the vote it will be a vicory. Hell, the fact that someone ran against Shelly is a victory.

It's great that you are foot-soldiering for the local pol you believe in. Good for you. But let's be real about it. Phone-banking for Sheldon Silver, the most powerful man in NY state politics, isn't so much "volunteering" as it is "currying favor." You may as well be licking envelopes for Kim Jong Il.