Sen. Neil Breslin, who, as I mentioned earlier today, is facing an active primary challenger in Luke Martland, has been striving to put some distance between himself and the dysfunction of his Democratic conference at a time when voter disgust with Albany – and incumbents in general – is running very high.

This moment came during last night’s debate:

“Do I think that there are people who have been there too long? Well, you know, Pedro Espada hasn’t been there too long, but he‘s been there way too long for my purposes,” Breslin said.

“We have to rid ourselves of people like Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate and Reverend Diaz, Senator Reverend Diaz, people who don’t take their responsibilities either ethically seriously or legislatively seriously.”

The Delmar Democrat is not a newcomer to the anti-Espada movement.

He was part of a group of reform-minded senators who advocated against accepting Espada and Monserrate back into the conference after the ’09 Senate coup.

Several months after the stalemate had ended – not the way he had hoped it would – Breslin said at a church in his hometown that the majority leader was a “crook” who “should be in jail.” This is the first I’ve heard of him lumping Diaz Sr. in with his erstwhile amigos, but I can’t say it’s surprising.

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