ALBANY – Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver – who set off a storm of protest last week when he declared, “I don’t go to cops’ funerals” – beat a stunning retreat yesterday as he revealed that he’ll pay respects at today’s wake for Officer Daniel Enchautegui.
Silver (D-Manhattan) contended in an interview with The Post that his initial comments were misinterpreted by the press and the public, and said he had decided to go to the wake – the first he’s ever attended of a slain police officer – in order to set the record straight.
“I intend to pay my respects to the deceased hero by going to the wake and seeing the family,” said Silver, referring to Enchautegui, who was slain early Saturday morning in The Bronx.
The powerful Democrat said he wanted to “clarify” his stand on attending funerals and services for police officers killed in the line of duty because “I intend to show that I do care and I care in more ways than people believe.”
“I don’t believe that you make political appearances at funerals,” added Silver, insisting that was what he was originally trying to say.
“However, I don’t want my absence to be misconstrued to mean that I don’t care about the brave men and women who put their lives on the line for all New Yorkers.
“So based on the fact that some people have misconstrued my statement, I intend to show that I do care,” Silver continued.
Asked if he would attend future funerals for cops killed in the line of duty, Silver responded, “I don’t know.”
Gov. Pataki has said he will attend tomorrow’s funeral, as have state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, among other officials. Senate Democratic leader David Paterson of Harlem was trying to make arrangements to attend the funeral, his office said.
Silver touched off an uproar last week after the slaying of Detective Dillon Stewart when he told The Post he didn’t go to cops’ funerals.
He was criticized by cops from Stewart’s precinct, elected officials and national law enforcement organizations. Silver told The Post that today would be the first wake or funeral of a police officer he has attended.
More than 50 city cops have been killed in the line of duty since he became speaker, and the most powerful Democrat in the state, in 1994.
Silver said the wake would be a “more personal” way for him to express his condolences to the family than showing up at the funeral.
Silver, meanwhile, appeared to show new flexibility on his willingness to pass tough anti-gun trafficking laws, saying he’s ready to come back to the state Capitol to do so now.
“If the Senate wants to come back, we’ll come back,” said Silver. “We can do it tomorrow or in three weeks” when the legislative session resumes.
“We passed nine bills in the Assembly last year to deal with gun violence and the fact remains that if we’re going to stop gun trafficking in this state it’s time for the governor to call his friend the president and the Republican House and Senate to get tough on gun trafficking nationally,” said Silver.
“I didn’t get an ”F” with the National Rifle Association because I’m soft on gun crime,” Silver continued. The Republican-controlled Senate has already passed a tough new anti-gun trafficking measure that’s backed by Pataki. Silver insisted the Assembly measures were at least as strong as the legislation that passed the Senate.
“I think what we ought to do is iron out the differences and go,” said Silver.
Silver, who has been repeatedly accused in the past by Republicans of being soft on crime, has been widely criticized by law enforcement organizations and some Democrats for what seemed like an insensitive, blanket, refusal to attend funerals for police officers killed in the line of duty.