While Eliot Spitzer is making a play in the Jewish community, especially among Orthodox Jewish voters, he’s coming under fire for dumping another favorite of the community – Shelly Silver.

During the last NYC Comptroller debate, former Governor Eliot Spitzer called on the new York State Assembly to replace Speaker Sheldon Silver. The revelation came in response to a question posed to both the former governor and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer by WCBS-TV’s chief political correspondent Marcia Kramer.

“You both are running on your record of service in Albany and you both have worked with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Given the rash of charges of harassment cases, cases that involved taxpayer dollars that were spent on settlements and legal fees, should Sheldon Silver resign or should members of the Assembly vote to replace him?” Kramer asked.

While Stringer tried to dodge the question, Spitzer responded unequivocally. “Let me be very simple about this. The members of the Assembly should elect a new Speaker,” he said. “Right now the Assembly is ossified, it is broken, it is too rigid. There is a capacity for new and creative leadership in the Assembly. It’s time for action.”

Last week Friday morning, during a morning interview on the popular JM in the AM (Jewish Moments in the Morning) radio program, Mr. Spitzer came under fire by the host Nachum Segal for betraying Speaker Silver after getting his support during his gubernatorial run.

“Why couldn’t you just remain mum on this issue or do what others have done and say leave it up to the body up in Albany? Why did you have to be so outspoken against someone who I think has always been there for you?” Segal pressed Spitzer.

“Shelly and I get along fine. This is not an anti Shelly thing,” Mr. Spitzer responded. “This is a matter of is it time after many years of a status quo that is not always as responsive to the issues as it should be.”

At the beginning of the interview, Segal directed to Spitzer a question often asked by many outside of the community. “How dare does somebody who engaged in the type of activities that you did possibly ask the public to return you to public office?”

Mr. Spitzer was also asked what he thinks of the irony of his potential redemption coming during the high holiday season.

Listen to audio for the entire interview here

Below is the full transcript of the heated exchange:

NS: With as much respect as possible you know our relationship with the speaker of the NYS Assembly the Honorable Sheldon Silver. In fact the first time you were ever on the air [with us] was when Shelly had us up in Albany doing a show & I can recall the days when I believe he went out on a limb and joined with you at Jewish newspaper editorial offices and different forums to make sure he would do his best to get you elected Attorney General to help you be elected AG and you go ahead and call for his ouster as Speaker of the NYS Assembly. Why couldn’t you just remain mum on this issue or do what others have done and say leave it up to the body up in Albany? Why did you have to be so outspoken against someone who I think has always been there for you?

ES: Whether or not he’s been there for me I’m not going to wade into that history it doesn’t bear on this. The question I asked was is it time for change in the state legislature and that is the context in which I view this. Shelly & I always worked well together, disagreed on some things; the first real moment of tension was when we had reached an agreement a process issue about how to choose the state Comptroller, this was after Alan Hevesi resigned and Shelly and Joe Bruno, who was the leader of the State Senate, and I, publicly announced a process and then the state legislature leaders backed out of that in a way that I thought spoke poorly for both the capacity for them to honor an agreement and for the legislature to live up to its fiduciary obligation to the public to do what was right. But put that aside, what I’ve said is that it’s simply time for a change. Albany is frankly a little ossified. It is rigid. It’s hard to get creative thinking and thoughts and policies implemented and it would be good to have some slightly newer dynamic. Shelly and I get along fine. This is not an anti Shelly thing. This is a matter of is it time after many years of a status quo that is not always as responsive to the issues as it should be. Is it time to perhaps get some new thinking?

(Jacob Kornbluh – YWN)