Politics on the Hudson

   State Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox said the latest scandal involving Gov. David Paterson, and the governor’s decision today not to run for a four-year term underscores the need for (no surprise here) more Repubulicans in Albany. Cox said one-party rule at the Capitol—Democrats control the executive branch, the Senate and the Assembly—is not a good thing.

   Cox said Attorney General Andrew Cuomo should recuse himself from investigating the matter of potential interference by the State Police and the governor in a domestic-violence case involving a Paterson aide.

   Here is his statement (with an extra “t” in the first reference to the governor):

“The end of Governor David Patterson’s re-election campaign amidst a cloud of scandal is just the latest example of the Democratic Party’s culture of corruption, stemming from their absolute control of government on a state and nationwide level.  Over the past four years, as New Yorkers have had to cope with an economic crisis hitting our families and businesses, they’ve watched the Democratic Leadership of this state become a national embarrassment.  

“Two statewide officials, Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer and State Comptroller Alan Hevesi, resigned in disgrace, while Governor Paterson’s own transgressions are now precluding him from seeking a second-term. Each of Attorney General Cuomo’s 2006 running mates has left a tragic legacy of failure and abuse of the public trust. The fact Attorney General Cuomo has not recused himself from the Paterson investigation, in which his clear political interests are at stake, means Cuomo is no different than the others who perpetuate this corrupt environment.

“Today’s announcement only underscores the need to put an end to one-party rule in Albany and to elect leaders who are removed and separate from the previous four years’ worth of failure and corruption. New Yorkers seek and deserve that kind of leadership.  Andrew Cuomo fails entirely to fit-the-bill.”

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will now, if and when he runs for governor, avoid a bitter primary battle with Gov. David Paterson and may avoid a Democratic primary altogether if Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy or other Democrat doesn’t challenge him.

Cuomo put out a statement this afternoon saying “I am sure this is a difficult choice and a sad day for the governor and his family.  It is in the best interests of all New Yorkers that the state government function through this difficult time and address the pressing budgetary problems we face.”

As for his own timeframe on his announcement?

” This is an election year and I will announce my plans at the appropriate time.  In the meantime, I will continue to focus on my job as Attorney General and the many important issues we are pursuing.?

State Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, who also represents parts of Yonkers, Mount Vernon and several other communities in Westchester, issued a statement earlier today about the troubles facing Gov. David Paterson.

“It is unfortunate that at a time when our state is in the midst of a severe economic crisis and we need to direct our energy to putting New York’s fiscal house in order, we are embroiled in chatter about who will or will not be on the ballot nine months from now. We need to keep our eye on the ball. I’m focused on the budget and finding ways in which we can better protect the people’s money, put more tax dollars back in people’s pockets and restore the financial health of our state. Political conversations can be had after we’ve met our obligations and responsibilities to New Yorkers.”

Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli earlier this week refrained from knocking Gov. David Paterson after a Paterson spokesman ripped DiNapoli and questioned his handling of the state pension fund.

But DiNapoli, a fellow Democrat, took the gloves off this afternoon, saying that Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch should handle the budget negotiations, not the embattled governor.

“The Governor has made a wise choice to end his election campaign.  Now he needs to make another wise choice and designate Lieutenant Governor Ravitch to negotiate the budget with the Legislature,” DiNapoli said in a statement.

“The circumstances are difficult and the budget clock is ticking.  New Yorkers can’t afford a government distracted during these rough economic times.  “Lieutenant Governor Ravitch has the integrity and experience to negotiate what will be a very difficult budget.  I’ve already had a number of discussions with the Lieutenant Governor about the state budget. Now my office is prepared to take the next step.”

New York City Comptroller John Liu echoed DiNapoli’s call for Ravitch, but took it one step further: Paterson should step down in favor of “Governor Ravitch.”

“We have a $4.1 billion budget deficit to grapple with in New York City and cannot make real progress until the State budget is resolved on time one month from now, ” Liu said.

“In order for this to happen, we need Governor Paterson to step down now.

“Richard Ravitch has an abundance of integrity, experience and creativity.  As governor, Richard Ravitch would be the person most able to steer clear of politics, bring people together, and bring about a balanced, on-time state budget.

“I have stood by my friend and Gov. David Paterson until today. David Paterson is a fighter whose commitment to the overall well-being of New Yorkers is without doubt, and deserves our thanks for his service.  Given New York’s precarious fiscal situation and the investigation involving the Governor, even if self-imposed, New York should move forward under Governor Ravitch.”

State Conservative Party Chairman Mike Long said “Governor Paterson got it half right.  Paterson doesn’t deserve to be in office next year, but he doesn’t deserve to be in office this year, either.”

Long, who is expected to back Republican Rick Lazio for governor, said “New York is in a real economic crisis with job losses haunting families across the state.  And Paterson can’t do anything to help by sticking around under an ethics investigation and stripped of all political credibility.

“It is time for Paterson to put the people of New York ahead of his personal interests.  It is time for him to go. “An accidental Governor from the start, it is time Paterson help clean up the wreck.”

Lazio, once Paterson’s defender against the New York Times and critics, offered a general statement about Albany’s dysfunction.

“This is another sad chapter in New York State government. It’s dysfunctional, it’s broken and it doesn’t work,” Lazio said. “It’s exactly why we need someone not tied to the Albany culture to bring the sweeping change we deserve.”

Likely Democratic Sen. candidate Harold Ford, who yesterday called on Paterson to not run, said Paterson should resign if he can’t govern effectively.

“Finally, the governor should be honest with the voters about his effectiveness going forward in dealing with the budget and other pressing matters,” Ford said in a statement. “And if this very serious investigation further erodes his ability to govern out his term, he should immediately step down for the good of the state.”

   Press releases have started flooding in with reaction to Gov. David Paterson’s announcement that he’s not running for election to a four-year term. Here are some:

  —From Senate Republican Leader Dean Skelos, R-Nassau County:

   “Governor Paterson called me and informed me that he would end his campaign for Governor.  I believe that he made the right decision.  I told him that Senate Republicans were prepared to move forward on a bipartisan basis to address the budget and other pressing matters, and that hopefully the Senate and Assembly Democrats, unlike last year, would do so as well.

  —From state Democratic Party Chairman Jay Jacobs: 

   “By announcing his decision this afternoon to not seek a full term as Governor, David Paterson has clearly shown his commitment to the people of the State of New York, the Democratic Party and his colleagues in government. His personal sacrifice underscores his character and courage in a most difficult time for him personally.  Governor Paterson entered office under extraordinary circumstances, immediately faced a financial crisis of historic proportions and has managed to keep New York State solvent while amassing an impressive record of accomplishments. The Governor’s action today reminds us of what it means to be a true public servant by putting The People First.”

  —From Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau County:

   “In deciding not to seek a full term, Governor Paterson made a responsible decision in the wake of the disturbing scandal that has consumed his office. Prior to these most recent allegations of domestic violence and abuse of power, I was the first member of the Long Island delegation to call for Governor Paterson to not run this November. I was concerned that politics were distracting him from the business of running the state. Now, the Governor must now consider whether he can be an effective leader for New York during these difficult times.

   Gov. David Paterson just held a brief press conference in which he announced that he is being a political realist in suspending his campaign for election this fall.

   Here is an excerpt from his remarks:

   “It hasn’t been the latest distraction, it has been an accumulation of obstacles that have obfuscated me from bringing my message to the public. Therefore, there are times in politics when you have to know not to strive for service, but to step back, and that moment has come for me. Today I am announcing that I am ending my campaign for governor of the state of New York. It has become increasingly clear to me in the last few days that I cannot run for office and try to manage the state’s business at the same time, and right now, New York state needs a leader who can devote full time to this service.”

   The governor said he looks forward to a full investigation into the latest scandal that has rocked his administration. A New York Times story yesterday said the State Police and Paterson himself may have interfered in an alleged domestic-violence case against a top gubernatorial aide, David Johnson. Johnson’s girlfriend at the time didn’t show up for a scheduled court appearance a day after speaking with the governor.

   “I give you this personal oath,” the governor said, raising his right hand as he spoke. “I have never abused my office, not now, not ever. I believe that when the facts are reviewed, the truth will prevail.”

   Paterson said he is committed to serving each of the 308 remaining days of his administration fighting for the people of New York.

   “I hope that history will remember that I fought the good fight, that I did what was hard and that I put the people first,” he said.

   This is what the governor said when asked by a reporter if he was upset by what has happened in the past few weeks: (more…)

Our Buffalo TV affiliate WGRZ has it live here.

The general reaction today from state lawmakers to Gov. David Paterson’s decision to not run for election is that even though he’s out—and that may help him govern—his troubles are not over as the probe into his role in a potential cover-up of a domestic-abuse scandal involving his aide continues.

First, Baruch College political-science professor Doug Muzzio offered this assessment of the whole situation here on Planet Albany:

“This is a combination of Rod Serling meets Lewis Carroll,” he said. “It’s the Twilight Zone plus Wonderland. You never know what’s happening because the story is more absurd that you can think.”

Some lawmakers were more critical of Paterson than others, of course.

“I’m actually more interested in his ability to govern for the next several months than I am in his political fortunes or all of our political fortunes,” Assemblyman Joseph Morelle, who heads the Monroe County Democratic Committee, told the Democrat and Chronicle editorial board today, reports the paper’s Jill Terreri.

“I think if, and it’s hard to tell what happened here, if the governor intervened, if the State Police intervened in a serious domestic-violence dispute, then I think it calls into question his ability to be the chief executive of the state,” said Morelle, an ally of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

State Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira, who investigated the first Troopergate scandal in 2007, questioned how Paterson will have any ability to lead the Legislature through the budget process. Some lawmakers, particularly Sen. Liz Krueger, D-Manhattan, have called on Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch to handle the budget negotiations.

“The issue is going to be whether he will be so damaged, can he lead the state? That’s going to be the big question here,” said state Sen. George Winner, R-Elmira. “I think it’s going to be very difficult for him to be able to govern given this firestorm.”

But others said Paterson will have the burden of a campaign fight against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo off his shoulders and should be able to focus on governing, not politics.

“What it does, it allows those us who have really been deeply concerned about the impact this is having on our ability to do this job, we can now breath and to do exactly that,” said Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Mount Vernon, Westchester County.

Gov. David Paterson is out of the race for governor; Andrew Cuomo is not in the race for governor—yet; Rick Lazio is running—and maybe so is Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy.

Levy put out a statement to let people know that he’s not out of this yet. In fact, with Paterson out of a potential primary, Levy might just get in. The Democrat also tried to lure Republican support. After he has $4 million in the bank—$1 million more than Paterson had.

“These recent events add to what is the most dysfunctional state in the union. People want a revolution in Albany and I’m very close to leading that charge,” Levy said in a statement,  calling himself a “prospective 2010 NY State Gubernatorial candidate.”

“We must remain focused on the fact that New York State is on the verge of bankruptcy and desperately needs a proven leader with the specific remedies that I’ve laid out in my Plan to Rescue New York.”