Politics on the Hudson

While Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio was backing away from his defense of Gov. David Paterson, he was also ramping up his criticism of Attorney General Andrew Cuomo.

Earlier today, he released a Web video questioning why Cuomo has laid low and hasn’t announced his plans to run for governor or said what he would do to solve the state’s problems.

Today, Cuomo’s office hasn’t commented yet on Paterson’s request that it probe the domestic-abuse case involving Paterson’s aide, David Johnson. But Paterson said this morning that Cuomo has agreed to do the investigation.

“Andrew Cuomo is missing in action. He is running a campaign for Governor while hiding from the people of New York,” Lazio said in an email to supporters today. “It’s nothing more than  politics as usual. Andrew Cuomo has been part of the Albany dysfunction for so long he believes the people can be ignored. As Martha Coakley found out in Massachusetts, the people will be heard from.”