State senators across New York on Thursday night issued the predictable press releases trying to sound victorious and defend their actions of the previous month as some sort of valiant exercise.

The month-long paralysis of the Senate had ended when Sen. Pedro Espada came back to the Democratic conference after spending the previous month as part of the “coalition” conference that consisted of himself and 30 Republicans. Espada certainly deserves plenty of the blame for this disastrous period for New York's government; in many ways, the entire mess boiled down to his egotistical desire to have a powerful title (and the extra money that comes with it).

But to solely blame Espada gives the other 61 senators an undeserved break. They all should be personally ashamed for being part of this fiasco, and for failing to stand up and make a courageous effort to end it.

We're deeply disappointed in the senators representing this county - Democrat David Valesky and Republican Michael Nozzolio. This ordeal could have ended much sooner if a few Republican and Democratic “rank-and-file” senators such as Valesky and Nozzolio had decided that they agreed with the overwhelming majority of the public that the leaders of both sides were doing a terrible disservice.

Instead, they all remained silent. Or if they did say anything, it was nothing more than a regurgitation of what the leaders had already said.

When the attempted “coup” in the state Senate took place on June 8, we wrote that the potential for this to bring about reform was the silver lining. That remains the case, but it's up to individual legislators to hold their conference's leaders accountable for the promises they have just made.

Unfortunately, we don't have much hope that will actually happen.