Quoted Text

Aides: Paterson urged to reconsider NY gov race

MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press Writer
1 hr 51 mins ago

ALBANY, N.Y. – National Democratic Party leaders have asked Gov. David Paterson to consider withdrawing from the 2010 governor's race, according to two senior New York Democratic advisers.
Both advisers, who are close to the governor, spoke to The Associated Press on Saturday on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for Paterson. The sources said it was unclear what Paterson would do in response.
The New York Times, which originally reported the request on its Web site, said that it was President Barack Obama who asked Paterson to withdraw.
Party leaders in Washington have become concerned about Paterson's political weakness, believing the governor's office is too important to risk losing, one of the state Democratic advisers told the AP on Saturday.........................>>>>....................>>>>.................http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090920/ap_on_re_us/us_ny_governor_s_race

Quoted Text

Prez thinks Paterson must go
By MAGGIE HABERMAN
Last Updated: 6:11 AM, September 20, 2009
Posted: 3:03 AM, September 20, 2009

The Obama administration, fearing that Gov. Paterson is too embattled to remain at the top of the ticket, has sent a direct message asking him not to run for a full term as governor.

Multiple sources said the White House and national Democrats, fearful about Paterson's performance, low poll numbers and increasing lack of support, had decided to suggest he not run again, accelerating a timetable for their plans after the governor went on a rant claiming his poll problems are thanks to a racist media -- in which he invoked Obama's name.

"The message was delivered," said one source familiar with the events, adding that concern about Rudy Giuliani had helped drive the timeframe.

Sources said the message was delivered to Paterson through multiple people in the past week, including directly from the White House around last Tuesday's primary. The governor was deliberately not invited to attend a major Wall Street address Obama gave last Monday.

And it came just a week before the president is slated to give a major speech in upstate New York tomorrow.

The governor was let know that there is deep concern he will be a major drag on the Democratic ticket next year, concerns that became elevated as well-polling Republican Rudy Giuliani has sent increasingly serious signals about running for governor, the sources said..............>>>>.............>>>>.............http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/prez_thinks_paterson_must_go_v3NgxKpF9xdeRI7HUNf4qN

Quoted Text

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.

     
A senior Democratic adviser close to Paterson said Sunday that the state's first black governor is still planning to run and is focusing on the state's fiscal crisis. The adviser spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak for Paterson.

The governor's office has refused to comment since reports Saturday night revealed the Washington-based effort to persuade the governor to drop out of the 2010 race. That would pave the way for the far more popular Andrew Cuomo, the state's first-term attorney general.

Quoted Text

Dave's ejection is Andy's election
By FREDRIC U. DICKER
Last Updated: 6:40 AM, September 21, 2009
Posted: 5:15 AM, September 21, 2009

All hail Andrew Cuomo, the de facto governor-elect of New York.

And all pity David Paterson, now the state's de facto lame-duck governor.

This sudden and breathtaking transformation of the New York political scene comes compliments of President Obama and/or his political operatives -- and no effort by the White House yesterday to backpedal on what was said will change that.

The notion that the nation's first black president would be responsible for destroying the candidacy of New York's first black governor left some of the state's normally voluble Democratic officials speechless -- but not surprised.

That's because Obama, unlike Gov. Paterson, was elected to his job, and thus is sensitive to the implications of a chief executive having no prospect of being elected to his, especially in a key Democratic state.

Obama knows that Paterson is the most unpopular governor in the United States, and -- given the problems that are racking so many states -- that's saying a lot.

And Obama, concerned with his own declining poll numbers, knows Paterson is so inept that virtually every Democratic elected official is holding his/her breath fearing the governor will cost the party key elective offices next year -- as well as the crucial control (from a redistricting point of view) of the state Senate.

But most importantly, Obama realizes that the only thing that could stand between his own re-election in 2012 and a direct challenge from former mayor and potential Republican gubernatorial and presidential contender Rudy Giuliani -- the man who defeated New York City's first black mayor -- is Attorney General Cuomo, the state's most popular politician and one who unfailingly beats Giuliani in the polls.

The unelected Paterson, who polls show is easy prey to a Giuliani candidacy, is, of course, a very different story..............................>>>>>...................>>>>...................http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/dave_ejection_is_andy_election_oR0xiRKrYjlGvb71R3KWqK

Quoted from bumblethru

I wish obama would stay out of our local/state politics. What is he gonna do.....try to sway ALL elections now?

Quoted Text

Region gets Obama visit, Paterson gets backstabbed

    Perhaps it was a “green” bus, in keeping with the theme of President Obama’s visit to Hudson Valley Community College yesterday, but Gov. David Paterson was definitely thrown under one this weekend. That’s when Obama aides conveyed the message to the poll-stricken Paterson, in no uncertain terms, that he should give up the idea of running for governor next year, or “stand down,” as they put it. In a show of defiance, or perhaps just a face-saving delay of the inevitable, Paterson responded, “Thanks, but no thanks.”
    Such an intervention by a president in state politics is highly unusual. And that it would be done this way — so blatantly and just before a presidential visit to the state — makes it particularly humiliating for Paterson.
    What has he done to deserve such treatment? Nothing, really. Paterson is an intelligent, capable man who takes his job seriously and has tried to do what is best for the state. But through a combination of his own deficiencies as a leader and circumstances (mostly the Wall Street meltdown and brutal recession that have forced him to do unpopular things to deal with multibillion-dollar defi cits), he has achieved extraordinarily low poll numbers which indicate he can’t win next November, especially against a strong candidate like Rudolph Giuliani. And there’s a greater chance that Rudy will choose to run if Paterson is his opponent rather than the popular Attorney General Andrew Cuomo...................>>>>.......................>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00702&AppName=1

Quoted Text

CAPITOL
Poll: Obama should butt out
President wrong to suggest Paterson bow out, voters say
BY MICHAEL GORMLEY AND KIMBERLY HEFLING
The Associated Press

    President Barack Obama is getting a round of boos for reportedly undermining Gov. David Paterson in one of the nation’s most Democratic states, according to a Marist College poll released Thursday.
    Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Gregory Meeks of Queens said in Washington that although he was acting on a concern from the W h i t e H o u s e about Paterson’s low poll numbers, Obama never ordered him to deliver a message to the governor that he should drop out of the 2010 race.
    “I was not told by the White House to tell him to get out of the race. It was more of ‘There are strong concerns,’ ” Meeks told The Associated Press. “What happened was they had concerns about various numbers, poll numbers, et cetera. Once that was communicated to me, I thought it was important to tell my friend that the White House had concerns.”
    A Marist College poll finds 62 percent of New Yorkers say the Democratic president should stay out of New York politics. Even 51 percent of New York Democrats feel the White House was meddling where it didn’t belong.
    The poll asked voters if they thought it was right for the White House to “suggest” Paterson not run next year. The effort to get Paterson out of the race is widely attributed to the White House in news reports citing unnamed sources. An Obama spokesman on Monday wouldn’t say whether or not the administration ..................>>>>..............>>>>.................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....405&ViewMode=GIF