Since we’re on the topic today of attacks by Carl Paladino on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver today, a reader forwarded this video of the Buffalo businessman engaging in some Silver-basing during a Sept. 25 meeting with ultra-Orthodox Rabbi Yehuda Levin, founder of Congregation Mevakshei Hashem in Brooklyn.

Levin, who is vehemently anti-abortion and anti-gay rights, defended Paladino last month when he crashed a press conference of pro-Andrew Cuomo Jewish leaders who were slamming the GOP gubernatorial hopeful and accusing him of making anti-Semitic remarks.

The following exchange takes place at about the 2-minute mark about Paladino’s insistence it wasn’t anti-Semitic for him to say his friend, Erie County Executive Chris Collins, shouldn’t have apologized for comparing the Orthodox Jewish speaker to Hilter and the anti-Christ:

Paladino: “…It was never intended to be an affront to the Jewish community. It was intended to be an affront to Sheldon Silver.”

Levin: “Here’s what I would point out to you. We go on the record many of us saying as follows Sheldon Silver is a disgrace to the Orthodox community. He’s a baby-killer. He doesn’t allow debate on partial-birth abortion. he pushes homosexual marriage.”

Paladino: “Oh, I hate him even more now!”

Levin. “He didn’t allow babies to get tested for AIDS…He’s a disgrace. I gave him the silver scissors award 20 years ago for the support of partial birth abortion. I gave him the silver scissors award. But, but people are frightened by the use of the word anti-Christ and the use of the word Hitler.That went too far, and I think, looking back, you have to understand.”

Paladino: “It was no mal-intent to the Jewish community. Mr. Silver does tend to get peolpe’s dander up.”

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