NY Governor Ignores Calls to Step Aside

AP ^ | 9-20-2009 | Michael Gormley

[My Favorite Headache]

ALBANY– Gov. David Paterson isn't scrapping his plans to run for the office he inherited 18 months ago, despite growing pressure from Washington and intervention by the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has contacted the governor and the White House over his concern.

"My plans for 2010 are to run for governor of the state of New York," Paterson said Sunday after serving as grand marshal to the African-American Day Parade in Manhattan. "I am running for office."

But the signals from Washington Democrats may be what Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, riding high in the polls, needs to increase fundraising for a possible run for governor. Cuomo has refused to challenge Paterson so far and has declined to say if he will seek the job held by New York's first black and legally blind governor.

"The White House is giving Cuomo all the political cover he needs to get in this," Miringoff said.

The White House has not ordered Paterson to leave the race and would not do so, the official continued, saying only that the governor can make the decision about what's right for him, the party and the state. But Paterson and his advisers have been made aware of Obama's concern about losing the governor's office in such a key state, the White Office official said.

Another senior Democratic adviser in New York said those seeking Paterson's withdrawal are suggesting he could land a Washington job in the Obama administration. The adviser spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official wasn't authorized to speak for Paterson or the New York congressional delegation.

"I found that to be stunning, that the White House would send word to one of only two black governors in the country not to run for re-election," said Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele.

[Vigilanteman]

Has Paterson been anywhere near the disaster for New York that Obama has been for America? Isn’t his just another run-of-the-mill political hack aside from the novelty of being black and blind?

[RochesterFan]

Don’t get me wrong - I am no fan of Gov. Patterson. Nothing would please me more than to see him trounced by informed voters at the polls. My beef is that this is an issue to be decided by the voters of NY, not Pres. Obama. For a non-resident of NY to say someone should step aside is the height of hubris, thinking their opinion - as one without standing in the election, justifies removing choices from the voters. There are requirements all candidates need to meet to get on the ballot. Beyond that, the voter has the say.

[PapaBear3625]

I think Paterson is just talking out his butt. Am I correct in saying that if the dems don’t want him to run, he doesn’t have a chance of being on the ballot, unless he wants to use his own money?

If the dem primary is between a black candidate and a white one, it is not necessarily a sure thing that the black guy would lose, even if the party honchos opposed him. It might also result in annoying the crucial black constituency.

Essentially, it would be popcorn time.

[RochesterFan]

The likely primary race will be between Gov. Patterson and Atty Gen. Andrew Cuomo. The latter is a rising star and would likely trounce our current governor. That’s fine by me - the citizens of the state would get to decide. If Rudy Giuliani runs on the Republican ticket, it will be fun to get out the popcorn and enjoy the general election.