It makes perfect sense that Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver is replacing his chamber’s old toteboards with Jumbotron-like video screens.
Because this summer, politics in New York is repackaging itself as a form of mass entertainment.
So why not break up dull debates by prodding legislators to do “The Wave” while blasting a cavalry charge over the loudspeakers?
Actually, the closest analogy to the current spectacle is not a wholesome sporting event, but hookup-focused reality TV, a la “Jersey Shore” or “Big Brother.”
The star — for the moment, anyway — is Anthony (The Situation) Weiner, famous for showing off parts of his anatomy normally covered by clothing. He admitted last week that the sexting habit that forced his resignation from Congress in 2011 involved six to 10 women and continued well into 2012.
Meaning, he kept doing it after gushing in People magazine about his post-therapy life as a laundry-washing dad, and just a few months before he asked New Yorkers to trust him with the keys to their city.
The original Situation’s motto was “gym, tan, laundry.” Weiner’s could be “gym, junk, laundry.”
Then there’s Eliot (Omarosa) Spitzer, who — by way of convincing voters to overlook his hooker habit and make him city controller — brags in his campaign ads about the many enemies he’s made. The ranks of which include, he might add, the many capable, well-meaning people on his staff whose careers were derailed by his recklessness.
It’s only a matter of time before he looks straight into the camera — like a contestant on “The Apprentice” — and says, “I’m not here to make friends.”
Meanwhile, Sheldon (The Donald) Silver made a big show of saying “You’re fired” to a top aide over the latest scandal involving an over-amorous assemblyman. Allegedly, chief counsel Bill Collins failed to properly investigate a well-documented sexual harassment complaint in 2009 against Assemblyman Micah Kellner, who’s currently running for a Manhattan City Council seat.
For those keeping score at home, Collins was previously in the news for his role in not properly investigating well-documented sexual harassment charges against Assemblyman Vito Lopez, who’s currently running for a Brooklyn City Council seat.
No, Silver has not texted inappropriate selfies to underlings. But by failing to stop Lopez’s harassment when he first had the chance, Silver was responsible for subjecting women to unwanted advances. And as with Weiner, Silver’s apologies and promises of change haven’t stopped new scandals from popping up.
Audience members following this story line are are increasingly confused as to why Silver isn’t the one losing his job.
Thankfully, the folks at home seem to be tiring of The Weiner Show. A Quinnipiac poll released Monday showed that he dropped from first place to fourth in less than a week — no doubt because voters felt bamboozled one time too many.
That’s not to say the other characters will be voted off the island any time soon. Silver wears the immunity necklace of his vast power in the Assembly, enabling him to richly reward his legislative allies and neutralize would-be rivals.
Spitzer’s fame as a household punchline — and lingering reputation as the sheriff of Wall Street — gives him a clear edge over the lesser-known Scott Stringer in the Democratic primary for controller. And Kellner and Lopez have fighting chances in their Council races.
Assembly officials say the new video screens are necessary to replace electronic boards that date back to 1987 and chronically break down. The declared purpose is to display vote counts and other relevant information as bills are debated on the floor.
On Monday, though, workers tested the equipment with a billowing American flag that could have come straight out of Yankee Stadium — suggesting the screens have other useful purposes as well.
Say, for example, setting up a “kiss cam” to deter future Lopez-like pawing. Or maybe showing the high scores of online games that certain members have been known to play on the chamber floor during debates.
“This is summer political theater in New York,” Cuomo said Monday, when asked to weigh in on the Weiner saga. “We laugh because if we didn’t laugh we would cry.”
Thank goodness Derek Jeter is back. Let’s watch baseball instead.
whammond@nydailynews.com
