Obama Requests That Paterson Drop Campaign

[quiet.american]

Source: NYT

WASHINGTON — President Obama has sent a request to Gov. David A. Paterson that he withdraw from the New York governor’s race, fearing that Mr. Paterson cannot recover from his dismal political standing, according to two senior administration officials and a New York Democratic operative with direct knowledge of the situation.

The decision to ask Mr. Paterson to step aside was proposed by political advisers to Mr. Obama, but approved by the president himself, one of the administration officials said.

“Is there concern about the situation in New York? Absolutely,” the second administration official said Saturday evening. “Has that concern been conveyed to the governor? Yes.”

The administration officials and the Democratic operative spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions with the governor were intended to be confidential.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/nyregion/20paterson.html?hp

---

Seems like Rudy "A subject, a verb, and 9/11" Giuliani is sniffing around NY again, this time looking to be governor. In reality, Andrew M. Cuomo would be a much stronger gubernatorial candidate than Paterson against Ghouliani. Paterson does seem to have a compulsion to continuously shoot himself in the foot, as noted in the article.

[mth44sc]

1. confidential

"The administration officials and the Democratic operative spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussions with the governor were intended to be confidential"

If they say so...

[virgogal]

2. The word "confidential" should be just dropped from the English

language.

Whatever happened to honor?

[mopinko]

3. why does this sound like bullshit to me?

dunno. can't really picture the president having time to worry about this shit.

[quiet.american]

5. That's what I initially thought, too, but there are some good points.

Namely, that if Giuliani is looking to run for governor, even with all that's happened, he may pull it off if Paterson is the Democratic candidate.

Paterson's ratings have dived off a cliff here, and he did himself no favors in the way he treated Caroline Kennedy when she was considering running for Senate. It was said at the time that would not be forgotten.

He also bungled the clown circus that was the New York State Legislature earlier this year. Not to mention shooting himself in the foot by appointing Gillibrand. The list goes on and on.

[FBaggins]

8. That's what the polls say too

Giuliani beats Patterson handily while Cuomo beats giuliani ... Unless they have an ugly primary(which is possible)

[rpannier]

16. With the problems he's been having with republikkans in congress

And redistricting coming up after the census in '10
I think he does care

[Uzybone]

4. no surprise. After the Caroline Kennedy debacle

Patterson has been on thin ice with the President. Add that to the fact that he is a dead duck, I'm not surprised that he is being asked not to run.

[bluestateguy]

6. NY redistricting is on the line

We have to hold the Senate of course, but winning the governorship allows us to use the redistricting process to fuck over the remaining Republicans in the NY congressional delegation.

[FBaggins]

7. This smells

That's almost certainly an intentional leak aimed at damaging Paterson's chances.

Doesn't Cook still have this as a "D" win?

[WatchWhatISay]

12. maybe . . .

but it' Cook

[rpannier]

14. No one needs to leak anything to damage Paterson's chances

He's done that to himself.

His political ineptitude has moved him precariously close to 'Taft Country'

[aquart]

19. Welcome to DU and WHAT CHANCES?

He can't win in the city. Gillibrand? She's an upstater. The brass-balled nerve of him. Giuliani can't win against anybody but Paterson. AND WE DON'T WANT GIULIANI.

That said, SOMEBODY TELL OBAMA TO QUIT MESSING WITH NEW YORK. HE DOESN'T WANT A PRIMARY FOR SENATE. HE DOESNT WANT PATERSON FOR GOV. Let him tend to his own damn garden.

[Freddie Stubbs]

30. Yes, but the assumption is that someone other than Paterson will be the Democratic nominee

[Historic NY]

9. Paterson will never clear a primary with even an Unknown Democrat...

thats the fact..if Cuomo runs he wins hands down.

[2Design]

10. Good Ole Boy Network is alive and well - interesting n/t

[question everything]

11. I've heard that the White House also talked to MA Deval Patrick

about moving ahead with filling Kennedy's seat.

[fujiyama]

13. Sounds like Paterson really screwed himself

when he dissed Caroline Kennedy. Not a smart move considering Obama is pretty close with the family. Not that I think she was the ideal appointment for that seat, but Paterson bungled the entire Senate appointment situation. What a fiasco, and an unnecessary one at that. I think he could have worked a lot closer with the administration and found a much more diplomatic way of telling Kennedy she wasn't his pick.

And that combined with the fact that he's incredibly unpopular...well...sounds like he's going to have very few supporters at this point. We don't need Paterson dragging down Dems throughout the state. It's vital to also try to take the legislature since redistricting is approaching.

BTW, other than the Senate appointment mess, WHY is he that unpopular? Am I mistaken in thinking that NY's economy has actually weathered the recession better than many other places?

[peanut]

18. Caroline Kennedy "dissed" herself -- and Gillibrand is a fabulous Senator

Patterson may not have "handled" Caroline Kennedy well, but she did herself in to anyone who was listening to the Debacle of her public utterances. She was absolutely a non-starter, sorry, and utterly unsuited to this sort of public life. She was AWFUL in her two seconds of "campaigning," if we could call it that and i sure didn't want her on the Senate floor, representing me or anyone else in NY with her terribly limited understanding of complex NY state political jockeying and groupings, unlike for example, Clinton who was all over it from the get go, whether you are talking upstate or Yonkers, and Gillibrand, who was our Brilliant Brilliant Brilliant Congresswoman here in the rural 20th and who could run rings around Caroline Kennedy in any political arena you care to name, including fundraising. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that in two-three years, once she wins re-election, everyone will be realizing what a smart smart woman Kirsten Gillibrand is, and how reasonable -- and how fiercely she is fighting for all of us. Public option, yessir. More progressive than you think? You betcha. Writes good legislation when no one else is up for it? Yep. Knows where to find the money when she needs to and the FIRST CONGRESSPERSON EVER to list all her appts (even if it's with a "lobbyist") and full disclosure on ALL her donors. She can't be bought because she knows how to earn it. out here in her district practically every Saturday of her time in Congress, much of it pregnant, facing her constituents with clipboard in hand, taking her own damn notes. She actually worked. And i'm sure she still is now in the Senate. So i'm sick of "progressives" (i'm one) who don't know two bits about KG just assuming that because she won election in our "backwoods" and knows how to use a gun (unlike Dicky-poo) that she's a bad guy.
Patterson may need to go down. But i for one am happy he did not entertain Caroline's wishy washy unstated and unproven political cajones for a second. I think appointing Kirsten might be the one smart move he made. Don't diss her until you check her out -- for real.

[aquart]

20. Well, Miss Appointed isn't going to win with my vote.

If she's such hot stuff, let her get into the primary and get chosen by the Democratic VOTERS. When the Democratic VOTERS choose her, she'll be my candidate. Until then, screw her.

[TheWraith]

24. That's fine. There'll be more than enough votes for her.

Including mine. That's speaking as someone who's met and talked with her.

[skipos]

28. Yes, you show her and the people of New York! You show them GOOD!

Nothing would learn them a lesson like Republican victory.

[fujiyama]

31. As I said, I never really favored Kennedy being appointed

and I don't have a problem with Gillibrand either. She's turned out to be a decent senator and I think she'll end up winning reelection pretty easily . I just think Paterson could have handled the situation better.

The whole situation was dragged out too long and was poorly coordinated.

Otherwise, I'm confused as to the reason for Paterson's unpopularity. I don't think it's race in particular but I think the state senate mess is also dragging him down. But that's my limited understanding of NY's politics.

[TuxedoKat]

27. Yes.

I wasn't happy with the way he treated CK either. I'm not thrilled with Gillibrand. I hope we have some
other choices in the primaries.

[Vidar]

15. Good for Obama.

[Libertas1776]

17. Patterson screwed the pooch BIG TIME

If the Dems want a gubernatorial win, they gotta drop him faster than a hot potato. My bets on AG Cuomo.

In fact, I recall them doing a poll with voters on Patterson, and who they would prefer. I think 51% said they'd rather have back the love guv Elliot Spitzer than Patterson.

[Czar One]

21. Andrew, unlike his father, won't hesitate!

If he wins the Governorship in '10, he'll be running for the White House in '16, '20 at the latest!

[HamdenRice]

22. Paterson has been a good governor who has to take the fall for the economic catastrophe

For out of staters, the Caroline thing looms larger than it is here in state. The big issue is that Paterson had to do a lot of really, really unpopular things in order to save the state fiscally, including raising taxes and fees. For this he was savaged by both the right and the left. The SEIU for some reason decided to run non-stop ads attacking him for several weeks.

Then the rethugnicants engineered one of the sleeziest, most corrupt power graps in NY State history -- taking control of the Senate, even though the Democrats had won a majority control for the first time in decades. That was amazing, and if you're not from NY you may not be aware of it. Paterson was somehow blamed for the fact that political chaos reigned in Albany for weeks, and that basically political blackmail delivered control of the Senate Democrats to the corrupt fiend who turned the Senate over to the repugs in the first place.

Paterson did what had to be done, and I'm sure he will step aside for Cuomo. But don't try to make this out as Paterson being incompetent.

[TheWraith]

23. While I partly agree, Paterson didn't do himself any favors in popularity.

There was a void coming from the Governor's office as far as a clear and consistent message about the budget problems.

The SEIU and AFSCME got on his case because he wanted the unions to make concessions in terms of pay and benefits, or else face layoffs of state employees.

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

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[CrispyQ]

26. This guy sounds like Donald Rumsfeld.

“Is there concern about the situation in New York? Absolutely,” the second administration official said Saturday evening. “Has that concern been conveyed to the governor? Yes.”

[cstanleytech]

29. If the story is true i cant say I blame Obama for

suggesting he not run and Patterson brought most of this on himself, hopefully he will take the advice and not run otherwise the republicans might win New York and that would not be good at all.