Paterson: No Cuomo Talk, I Need More Time

Governor David Paterson said on Friday that he was refraining from making a decision on who should fill New York's soon-to-be-vacant Senate seat, in part because he has not interviewed all the potential candidates yet. He acknowledged that he had yet to discuss the matter with the state's Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo.

In an interview with the local Fox News station, Paterson defended the drawn-out process by which he has tried to come to a decision on a Senate appointment to replace Hillary Clinton. He cited Bill Richardson's withdrawal as Commerce Secretary nominee as a reason for not taking quick action -- the idea being that Clinton's nomination is not yet a done deal, and she could be on her way back to the Senate.

Paterson also said that it was his preference for the public to choose the Senate replacement rather than deciding the issue by gubernatorial appointment.

"The best thing about this process is that the public will get to review this choice in 2010," he said. "In the end, the public will make the final decision. I wish the public were making the decision right now. In the interim sense, I will make the choice and the public will decide."

But the majority of attention was paid to Caroline Kennedy, reported to be the front-runner for the post but burned by a rocky roll-out. Paterson said that President-elect Barack Obama had not called him on Kennedy's behalf, and he defended the former first daughter's uneven public appearances.

"I can see the a person who wasn't in public service would have a little stage fright, and would be struggling a little trouble giving public interviews. Some of us who have been here 20 years struggle with the media," he said. "The issue is that all of the candidates in the race -- and, by the way, there are other candidates in the race if you have been following along -- they have their relative strengths and areas where they aren't so strong."

It is the prediction of many New York politicos that Paterson's mind is still not made up. The Governor is known for last-minute unpredictability. An aide to Cuomo has reportedly tried to slow down Kennedy's bid. But the idea that Cuomo could come in and take the Senate seat after Kennedy has campaigned so publicly for the post should be treated with some caution. One well-connected Democrat puts it bluntly: at this point, Cuomo can't afford to be seen as the guy who took the Senate away from a Kennedy.

Comments

[vernbvb]

Caroline Kennedy is the perfect choice for Senator. She certainly won't have a hidden agenda which would interfere with her dedicating herself to serving her state and her country. And in my opinion, she is more intelligent than most of the Senators who are already serving so please give it a break. Stop with the PETTY attacks.

[AgathaX]

Patterson is finished. This process should have taken a week. This is really not that big a decision. If this is too hard for him, he doesn't need to be governor.

[meko]

The process should not have taken a week. Filling a senate seat that has been vacated should not have taken precedence over the state budget and state of the state address. Finding out which New York legislators are interested in the position is more responsible than taking the first phone call. Doing thorough background checks on all the candidates is the responsible way to go.

The applications are due on January 16. They should be verified. Then the best candidate for the job should be selected. There is no reason to appoint anyone before Clinton vacates the seat.

[rblackbird]

Meko, I have read several of your posts. I have enjoyed them. You are analytical, incisive and well-informed. I look forward to reading more.

[jcwtts1]

Here is the problem with the process, the senate is in session. There are confirmations that are going on, Dashel, Clinton, etc., Holder starts on the 14th, we are going to be involved in health care fights, stimulus fights, maybe as many as 20 fights that are going on NOW. There was no need to sit the NY jr senator on the sideline instead of in the senate. How long should the process take? What if Patterson doesn't seat the person until Feb... are you still ok with it. We are currently at 56, that means we have to get GOP votes, more than one. For every vote we get from the GOP in order to meet cloture rules we have to give something up. So for all votes beyond confirmation we need to make deals. Also this week they are breaking into committees, and committees are set up proportionally. Do they count the 59 we have, or the 56 we have. There is a difference in the proportion of senators on each committee. We really need all hands on deck. Waiting is a pathetic attempt to either wait until Hillary is confirmed before give away her seat, or a degree of incompetence that is staggering.

[LALC]

Agree with rblackbird - I like meko too!

[tbone99]

Um- we are in the age of telephones , cars and high speed internet - whats hlding you back, Guv?

maybe you just need the to hear the right number ... to call.

[meko]

I think it's more than we're in the age of extensive background checks, where a responsible governor requires anyone up for consideration for senator to fill out an extensive survey before making up his mind. An age where citizens expect to have some say in their government, so if a governor has to appoint a senator he does at a measured pace, and takes into account public perceptions of all of the candidates.

[glorialovelace]

Extensive background checks protect everybody from the sort of embarrassment caused by the recent debacle involving Bill Richardson, where a proper, in-depth check might have revealed the conflict of interest situation that caused his withdrawal from Obama's cabinet.

[ggmome]

I smell a rat close by...Bill Clinton is that you?

[yesivoteddem]

rat smells his own hole pungent boy...

[MarvBitesBack]

They didn't give the whole quote. He said "I need more time. And, you know (wink wink), time is money."

[meko]

The most lucrative choice would have been Kennedy, and if that were to happen, it would have happened weeks ago.

[MarvBitesBack]

No, they want to make it look like he actually considered other choices, and to put more time and distance between certain, um, er, you know, like transactions.

[glorialovelace]

Interestingly, Blagojevich has said he thinks Paterson should appoint Caroline. And Sarah Palin has also "endorsed " her.

[jcwtts1]

patterson is showing himself to be a lightweight. Seriously no one has had a problem doing this for 200 years. But this year, when we need every single vote in the senate this group of incompetent a h oles can't seem to get out of their own way. Patterson should have made the choice weeks ago, or, if he believes that Hillary won't be confirmed and wants to leave the seat open for her, then SAY THAT. I can't believe this guy.

[meko]

Why shouldn't he wait until he's received the 28-page application from all of the people under consideration? Background checks need to happen on all candidates. The comparative advantages of everyone needs to be weighed. The needs and interests of citizens and officials throughout the state need to be considered.

Why not take the time to do things right? If this isn't just cronyism and payoffs, the criteria need to be clear, the candidates need to be discussed in the open, and the reasons for the appointment must be given to the public.

Furthermore, there's no reason to announce a successor until Hillary officially leaves the seat. Anyone who's up for the job can live with public scrutiny for 2-3 weeks without falling apart. If they can't, they'll never win reelection, no matter how much money they have.

[beaupritchard]

If he believes Hillary won't be confirmed ... from your mouth to gods ear. I can think of no more fitting punishment to those who opposed Caroline than to saddle them with Clintons continued presence.

Caroline for Secretary of State.

[glorialovelace]

Paterson has been working on the state budget and the State of the state speech, which he needed to memorize. Those are more urgent than filling this senate seat. I hope you're not suggesting that the seat should be filled without thoroughly vetting the person who will fill it. If there's one thing politics teaches us, it's that we shouldn't take things for granted about people -- and that appearances are often deceiving.

Sometimes, people whom we assume are "nice" are actually getting away with the darnedest things. Look at John Edwards, for example.

[Margary]

Carolines Sur-name can and will bring finance statis NY needs right now! she's Educated in the law! She's used to handling big miney and finance! she has political clout,A senators ear, A presidents Ear, and is smart /intellegent. what more does it take to be a senator!

[meko]

Some things, besides relatives and money, that a competent senator should have are:
The ability to negotiate effectively with a large body of peers to enact legislation. Skill in crafting and communicating a message to a variety of audiences. The ability to reach out to constituents, listen to their needs, and involve them in the process. The ability to synthesize the conflicting needs of various constituencies and find satisfactory solutions or compromises that meet those needs. The ability to identify problems and alternatives solutions, or to understand when the problem isn't one to be resolved through government. The ability to manage multiple tasks at the same time. An understanding of the needs of the entire state that is to be represented. Personnel/office management. Campaign management. A background in specific policy areas most relevant to the senator's home state.

Experience in these tasks is the best predictor we have as to how well someone might perform in them. This is why so many Congressional Representatives are under consideration - they've done essentially the same job, but at the next level of responsibility down.

A dusty law degree, inherited wealth, having been a contributor to a presidential campaign, and powerful relatives are advantages, but they are advantages that should be weighed against those of all the people under consideration. NY deserves to have the best senator it can get.

[beaupritchard]

Caroline would do just fine as Senator from New York. If the measure is who can do the most its there's not a close second.

Unfortunately there are some who want a candidate more like themselves. From what I hear Harriet Christian has entered the race. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KACQuZVAE3s

By the way she post here under glorialovelace or meko

[meko]

Campaigned in the primary for Obama. I'm not a huge HIllary fan, but I respect her achievements. I was happy to work with her supporters in the general election against McCain.

Carolyn Maloney has the voting record most similar to my beliefs, so she's my first choice. Byron Brown has such an impressive resume and brings so much to New York, though, that he's hard to resist. The other people who are up for the job have a lot to offer too.

[engineer68]

Knowing something about the State and the citizens who reside in that State would be helpful. CKS has never traveled around the State of New York. She only knows NYC.

[glorialovelace]

It take very good debating and public speaking skills, which she completely lacks. It also takes a long-standing interest in New York State and its problems, an interest which she has failed to demonstrate.

[Helzapoppin]

and pick Nadler

[meko]

Wouldn't be a bad choice. The longer the process goes on, the less the advantages of the famous and the more candidates will be evaluated based on their merits. This campaign prowess, of course, but is not limited to fundraising and national name recognition.

[MarvBitesBack]

That would be big! It would be huge! He brings wide range of experience. He listens to people -- in fact, he likes to chew the f a t. He's also sensitive. I've seen him blub ber many times.

[Helzapoppin]

oh, just get on with it already Paterson

[springsm]

Caroline might not be ready but gosh, Cuomo has been spreading all sorts of innuendos about her capabilities....don't pick him. Gads...he thinks HE is entitled yet he knocks her for her history. Spoiled brat Cuomo

[yesivoteddem]

t'isnt innuendo -

and it wasnt cuomo,

its everybody who has ever met her -

shes barely literate

why else did she need a "co author" for such lite-weight books?

[meko]

Whenever anyone says Obama wants Kennedy to have the seat I always wonder why he refers to her with the standard description for a big donor - "my friend"

If he really had such respect for Kennedy's work, why wouldn't he point out that he was a lecturer in Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago and then say what he thought of the book she co-wrote and what he thought of her scholarship when he spoke to her.

[harriettubman]

I like Caroline but she should run after the term is up. Right now NY needs someone who has political experience. Her surname doesn't equate experience.

[JennieB]

Dude please. It isn't that hard. Choose Caroline.

[meko]

Why?

[yesivoteddem]

because he either is a royalist a celeb worshiper or a fool.

If he chooses this stay at home half billionaire - people like me who worked and faught for that Senate seat in 2000 will never forgive him.

Besides the 200 y'knows and how the woman barely votes - when I found out that she has never given money to ant Dems who werent related to her - I just couldnt belueve it.

She comes from a Dem family -

SHE INHERITED 460 million bucks -

and she HASNT HELPED OUR CANDIDATES!

S-crew this park Avenue lay about - shes not on my team!

[JackND]

""at this point, Cuomo can't afford to be seen as the guy who took the Senate away from a Kennedy. ""

Ridiculous. You can't take away something from someone if they didn't possess it. And anyone who would see it that way is of little consequence.

[columbia72]

Paterson can pick Caroline and then select an upstater as his running mate in 2010. The ticket - Paterson, upstater to be determined- (could be Gillibrand), Cuomo for Attorney General, DiNapoli for Comptroller and Kennedy for US Senate. Schumer and Assembly Speaker Silver are Jewish. This covers all of his bases - racially, ethnically, geographically. It's a winner in NY. Unlike all of the others, Caroline has iconic status and immense star power... which matters in New York. Cuomo is locked in - he can't run for Governor against Paterson - he already ran against Carl McCall and alienated the African American community when he did so. He has to be careful with the Kennedy thing given the personal implications. And he didn't exactly have a difficult opponent in his first statewide race - a heavily damaged Jeannine Pirro. DiNapoli has never stood for statewide office - neither he nor Cuomo is really a threat to Paterson in a Democratic Primary given the power of an incumbent Governor. Paterson is smart and pragmatic - it's very interesting...let's see what happens.

[jsomerville5]

Hogwash. Paterson needs to pick someone far more experienced NOW.

According to the Village Voice, Albany has caught Gillibrand Fever:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/runninscared/archives/2009/01/albany_cools_to.php

Kennedy has no experience; is a horrible speaker - and this really gets my goat- doesn't bother to vote in general and primary elections, unlike the rest of us peons in New York.

You guys should be looking at Gillibrand, who is a million times more accomplished than Kennedy.

Magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth; clerked at Second Circuit Court of Appeals; working partner in a law firm; big job in the Clinton administration; mother of two children. My bet is he picks her.

[glorialovelace]

I had read that Gillibrand had been the favorite until Caroline asked to be given the job. She's from upstate -- although not far enough upstate to please some -- and she's a woman, so that covers two bases -- from the standpoint of balancing the ticket.

[columbia72]

I like Gillibrand - she is smart, has done a great job and I think she would be a great pick- but if she leaves that Congressional seat it goes back to the Republicans and I don't think Paterson wants to be responsible for that. Pelosi and Gillibrand may have differences - but Pelosi wants that seat in the democratic majority.
I also think you have an anti-Kennedy bias and as a result, undervalue the experience of Caroline - and the signifigance of her educational background and various civic and charitable experiences. The fact that she has not held elective office should not disqualify her - it, like her failure to vote in a few elections is a factor to be considered but is not dispositive of whether she is a good pick.

[beaupritchard]

Experience is over rated ... if you want what you've always gotten ... pick experience

[glorialovelace]

"Cuomo is locked in - he can't run for Governor against Paterson - he already ran against Carl McCall and alienated the African American community when he did so."

Cuomo dropped out of the race against McCall at the behest of the Clintons. Ultimately, McCall made a dismal showing in the election, winning only 33 percent of the vote.

But one hopes an entire community doesn't bear a grudge because Cuomo ran in a primary against an AA guy.

Nobody is entitled to run unopposed because they're a Kennedy, or because they're black or because they belong to any other group.

Otherwise that observation smacks of the same sort of entitlement as that statement from the so-called Democratic insider who said, "at this point, Cuomo can't afford to be seen as the guy who took the Senate away from a Kennedy."

[columbia72]

No one is entitled to run unopposed - but a smart politician considers the implications of his or her actions. Whether it is fair or not - running against incumbent Paterson after running against McCall - who was considered the leading candidate at the time - is a consideration.

[TJCole]

Congressman Maurice Hinchey easy pick, ready to go, electable, and very Senatorial what's the hold up..?

[glorialovelace]

Paterson has talked about having a "balanced ticket" in 2010. "Balance" would involve gender, religion and the area where the appointee resides. If he doesn't appoint Cuomo to the Senate seat, then he's not likely to appoint somebody who is male and Roman Catholic. Paterson and Cuomo are both Catholics. So are Hinchey, Gillibrand, Higgins, Suozzi and Crowley. So, of course, is Caroline.

Hinchey, Gillibrand, Higgins and Brown are from Upstate.

Just trying to do some second-guessing.

[meko]

Hinchey may be under consideration, there may be another 5 questionnaires out there that haven't been announced.