Politics

By JEFF CAPELLINI, WCBSTV.com Senior Producer
NEW YORK (CBS) ― To say Gov. David Paterson hasn't been able to win over the full trust of the people of New York is a fair assessment. Since taking over for Eliot Spitzer, he's been at times a controversial figure who's clashed with his constituents, as reflected by his woeful poll numbers.

But, as much as he seems genuinely concerned about the chaos in Albany he also has eyes on re-election in 2010.

Hofstra University professor Larry Levy thinks Wednesday's appointment of tough-as-nails Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor and de facto overseer of the warring Senate could go a long way toward Paterson mending fences with all the people who have jumped off his bandwagon since he rescued the state in the face of Spitzer's prostitution scandal.

"This is about more than just the impasse; this is about the future of David Paterson," Levy said. "David Paterson's poll numbers have actually been picking up a bit since this [Senate] debacle started. People thought he'd be trashed even more deeply than he had been, but people are looking at him and saying, 'Hey, the guy seems to be trying.'

"And in a strange and even perverse way this could turn out to be his political 9/11 the way the real one was for George Bush and Rudy Giuliani. It's a chance for him to step up, to show leadership, to show he's in charge, he's in command and that he's at least trying to get something done."

Since taking over for Spitzer last March, Paterson has been criticized for several of his decisions and, at times, his behavior has cast him in an unenviable light. In March of this year his poll numbers for re-election were well behind those of possible gubernatorial candidate Andrew Cuomo, the state's attorney general. Possible reasons include his handling of the vacant Hillary Clinton U.S. Senate seat and the unveiling of a series of highly unpopular new taxes.

Then in April, Paterson was caught on video at a charity dinner literally flipping out. A gymnastics display ended the animated parody of a political ad that featured the visually impaired governor sitting in a wheelchair and later rising up to do cartwheels.

The aim of the Legislative Correspondents Association dinner is to get some laughs. It's an event where reporters make fun of politicians and politicians do the same to reporters. Paterson, however, took his skit to a shocking extreme. He took aim at himself and a union ad that attacked him when the budget was first being discussed. What followed had some laughing and other shaking their heads in disgust.

But Levy said he believes with the appointment of Ravitch, Paterson has taken an appropriate first step to help repair his image and begin to put an end to the circus in Albany.

"It shows that even a circus has a serious side because this is a very serious move. Richard Ravitch is a very serious player," Levy said.

Levy said Ravitch has many friends on both sides of the aisle, though there are still plenty of foes fighting against him. 

"The fight over his mass transit plan shows he also has a lot of enemies. In fact, at least one of the senators who defected from the Democratic Party was a person who helped scuttle part of his plan to raise money for the MTA and capital for other purposes," Levy said, adding he expects the senators to come out firing at Paterson and Ravitch the first chance they get.

"We've hardly heard the last of this. It could go on for days and days, but, by the same token, this could light a fire under some of the senators and get them to sit down. However, what I think you will hear from Sen. Dean Skelos is that they are going to fight this until the bitter end.

"The people will not have an official say in this, but what they tell pollsters, what they tell the outreach officers of the various legislators could go a long way toward getting people back to the table and pushing this in one direction or another."

So make no mistake, Paterson has about as much to gain – or potentially lose – here as the people of New York.



 

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