Dec 2, 2008 6:35 am US/Eastern
Paterson: Don't Ask Me Who Is Replacing Hillary
New York Governor Has Some Time To Make Up His Mind Because Clinton Will Stick Around Until Confirmed
Candidates Include: Cuomo, RFK Jr., Suozzi, Several Others
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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At some point, Gov. David Paterson is going to have to pick someone to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate. Just don't ask him now because he's not going to tell you what he's thinking.
AP
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Right now it's the hottest political guessing game in town. Who will get the green light to replace Hillary Clinton in the Senate?
Clinton pressured Congress to pay the health care costs of ground zero workers. She sponsored bills to help the upstate economy and she was always trying to fix the nation's health care system.
"The reason I'm focusing on quality is that I think we can get bipartisan support," Clinton said back in 2004.
"The fact that she was probably thought at first to be someone that was being placed -- to a person whose place can't be taken -- I think that's really the issue for today," Gov. David Paterson said.
The other issue is who Gov. Paterson will name to succeed Clinton in the Senate. And in that regard he was just a tad naughty Monday.
"I'm here today to make a major announcement," Paterson said in front of reporters on Monday. "County Executive Tom Suozzi …"
The moment ended in laughter as Paterson confirmed that Suozzi has not been named, but that doesn't mean he's not being considered.
Those on the short list include Suozzi, Brooklyn Congresswoman Nydia Velasquez, Hudson Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but there are lots of other names being whispered about.
Who does Paterson like?
"You can ask me this question a million times. I'm not getting into who the candidates are. What do I think of them? When you asked that question did you really think I was going to answer it?" Paterson said.
Paterson is getting all kinds of advice: Pick a woman. Pick an African American, a Hispanic, someone from upstate … but there are other concerns, too.
"Gov. Paterson has to be very focused on nominating someone, placing someone in that office who can defend the seat when it's up in another two years," Baruch College professor David Birdsell said.
Paterson may have some time to consider his appointment. A spokesman for Sen. Clinton said she won't be leaving Congress until she is confirmed as Secretary of State.
Two people who definitely won't be replacing Clinton are veteran Rep. Nita Lowey and former President Bill Clinton.
Lowey said in an interview with The Associated Press Monday that she will remain in the House. Also, the long-shot notion of Bill Clinton taking over for his wife was put to rest.
Spokesman Matt McKenna said he won't succeed his wife in the Senate, calling the notion "completely false."
"President Clinton is excited to expand the work of his foundation," McKenna said, adding that Clinton's work has already led to agreements to provide lower-cost AIDS/HIV drugs to 1.4 million people worldwide.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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