Today In HuffPost New York

Back in 1989, The New York Daily News editorial board was divided over who to endorse in the Democratic primary for mayor, David Dinkins or Ed Koch. It was a fight so ferocious that it spilled out of the normally secretive board deliberations, into the newsroom and the outside world of city politics.

Everybody was waiting to see what would happen. In the end, the editorial writers compromised and picked the third candidate in the race - Richard Ravitch.

Ravitch, who was barely an asterisk in the polls, was of course flattered. But he also had the look, friends reported, of a man who suspected some terrible cruel joke had just been played on him. In the end, he got less than 5 percent of the vote.

It must be déjà vu this week for the state's new sort-of-lieutenant-governor. It would be an honor to be appointed to the second highest job in the state - if it weren't for the fact that the whole deal is probably going to be thrown out in court.

All we know now is that Ravitch, who has spent much of his life trying to bail one public entity after another out of a mess, is the only person in the Albany drama whose motives aren't suspect. He has nothing to gain from taking the job, which he's already promised to vacate after the next election.

David Paterson seems to have sprung his decision on the squabbling state senators, whose 31-31 deadlock has paralyzed the state and now threatens to send strapped cities and towns into financial chaos. The move seems likely to delay any resolution, by sending everybody back to court. But Paterson would like us to believe he did this in a stroke of selfless leadership, not political grandstanding. I know this because when I arrived home last night there was a pre-recorded message on the phone from Gov. Paterson, explaining it all and paid for by Paterson's campaign committee.

On the blog front, Ron Kuby says Bernie Madoff isn't quite finished yet. Kuby suspects that the notorious swindler has "one last scam up the sleeve of his baggy prison jumpsuit." David Jones says the cost of getting into many of the city's cultural institutions is shutting out poor people. And please check out Rob Morrison's descent into air travel hell.

Comments

[Schoolboardguy]

Daniel,

Paterson's "grandstanding" would not have been necessary had the state senate not been hijacked by Skelos, Espada, Monsierratte, etc... some of the least qualified people to be in leadership positions in this or any government. AG Cuomo and in fact any decent first year law student should be able to craft a legal argument that the appointment is valid and will stand -- and then get the State Senate off the dime and deal with real issues. Richard Ravitch has gravitas in spades -- much more than all of the incumbant State Senators combined.