Et Tu, Jose Rivera!

Bronx Democrats were disgraced and embarrassed today not here in New York, but by their county's Party Chairman currently in Denver. Like many prominent New York officials, he was a Hillary supporter throughout the primary. Then when it was apparent that the nominee was going to be Barack Obama, everyone stood with their party and united to beat John McCain and repudiate the possibility of four more years that could mirror the Bush Administration or worse. That is, until that united front was stabbed in the back by Jose Rivera, who is now a publicly declared PUMA!

From The Daily Politics:

On my way from the New York delegation's temporary home at the Sheraton to the Pepsi Center, I ran into some semi-hysterical PUMAs giving interviews to semi-interested reporters on a downtown Denver street corner.

Then Bronx Democratic Chairman Jose Rivera showed up, and things got a lot more interesting.

Rivera, with the help of Daniella Taylor, a PUMA from Wichita, Kansas, showed off his "The Bronx is With Hillary" banner that he pledged back in Albany to bring with him to Denver. He then declared:

"I'm a PUMA! I'm a Puerto Rican PUMA!"

However, when asked whether he would be willing, like Taylor, to vote for John McCain in protest of the fact that Clinton is not Barack Obama's VP pick, Rivera seemed to have second thoughts, saying that would be "going too far," unless, of course, McCain puts a woman on the ticket with him.

Alright so maybe he isn't twisting the knife and actually voting for McCain, but that doesn't mean what he is doing is acceptable. Commending Hillary Clinton for her run at the White House is one thing, but standing with a PUMA crowd means he is one, against showing a unified party or two, he didn't have a clue as to what the PUMAs are up to...or both.

Either way, being at that particular protest shows he does not have the Democratic Party's best interests at heart, and is not worthy of chairing a party at the county level. Let him do what he wants as an individual, but that "Puerto Rican PUMA" has no business in a position of authority within the party.

Shelly Silver Proves Schmucks Can Fly

Sheldon Silver primarily commutes between Lower Manhattan and Albany, but this weekend he flew out to Denver for the Democratic Convention this week. Although the majority of meetings started today and speakers do not take the stage until later tonight, the parties are non-stop and Silver hosted the New York event last night. Feeling pretty smug, he had two choice words for Azi Paybarah of the Observer.

From The Observer:

DENVER—At a reception he hosted last night at the Sheraton downtown, I asked Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver what he thinks about his primary challenger, Paul Newell, being endorsed by both The New York Times and the New York Post this week.

"Who's that?" Silver said.

Silver may think he's funny, but while he is having a ball in Denver, both Paul Newell and Luke Henry are hard at work on their campaigns to unseat the Speaker. They may have long odds, but they, like the headliner at the convention, are seeking change in the 64th Assembly District as well as the country at large. Silver's friend and Bronx Dem County Chair Jose Rivera suggests as much.