If you had ventured, say, at New Year's, to entertain the possibility that in 2008, Eliot Spitzer would resign in disgrace after being caught in a hooker sting, that Joe Bruno would be retiring, and that Hillary Clinton would not be this year's Democratic nominee, you would have been dismissed as mildly eccentric even by blood relatives. But here we are, and now, you can add one more improbable occurrence to this year of the unexpected: Tom Golisano is going to spend literally millions of dollars to shake things up in this state by targeting incumbent legislators.

That's potentially an earthquake.

The New York Sun (a rightwing fishwrapper characterized by bad writing, a rightwing editorial slant they don't even the decency to try to hide, but one redeeming virtue, their stubborn opposition to Speaker Shelly Silver) today speculates that among Golisano's targets may be Silver himself.

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.

There's even a rumor that Golisano may be looking at Marty Connor's seat, where the incumbent is facing a spirited challenge from newcomer Daniel Squadron. Having had a conversation about upstate economic development with Squadron myself, I'd suggest it might be worthwhile for Golisano to have the same.  read more »