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Paterson could be catalyst to stabilize NY

By David Freedlander and Pete Catapano | dfreedlander@am-ny.com

March 12, 2008

New York Lt. Gov. David Paterson attends the opening night of "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof," in this March 6, 2008 photo, in New York. Attention turned to Paterson immediately after word surfaced, Monday, March 10, 2008, that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been linked to a high-priced prostitution ring. If Spitzer quits, Paterson automatically becomes governor and would complete Spitzer's term, which ends Dec. 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini, file)

Next week, everything changes.

Gone will be the steamroller, Gov. Eliot Spitzer, the hard-charging former Sheriff of Wall Street, who, even before his sudden fall from grace, had few allies in Albany.

Sworn in on Monday in his place will be David Paterson, who former colleagues and political insiders say is just the sort of steady hand needed to right the ship.

"There is a huge cloud over Albany right now, and if we were to point to a silver lining in all of this it's that Lt. Gov. David Paterson will now be our governor," said state Sen. Jose Serrano (D-Manhattan.) "In the ways he's been able to overcome adversity and rise to the occasion, he's similar to another great governor, Franklin D. Roosevelt. I honestly think he can be one of the greatest governors this state has ever had."

As the second-in-command, Paterson was largely cut out of Spitzer's inner circle -- consisting mainly of hard-charging prosecutors. And many of those who know the new governor expect him to subtly start to put his own stamp on the state.

"You want to put your own stamp on things and have people who are working and loyal to you, not someone else," said City Comptroller Bill Thompson, who's known Paterson for 25 years and has spoken with the new governor a couple of times in the past week.

While a recent NBC/Marist poll showed that nearly half of the state's voters have never heard of Paterson, he has already made clear his position on a number of issues.

Paterson is considered to be more liberal than Spitzer, staking out strong positions on gay marriage, stem cell research, and the death penalty, stands that were often in opposition to his bosses'. He is also known for his commitment to tenant's rights and civil rights, even getting arrested during protests of the Amadou Diallo shooting.

"He speaks for people who are unspoken for in the halls of power," said Albany Democratic lobbyist Scott Levenson. "The new governor clearly has remained true to his community, his neighborhood, and the concerns of people who are struggling."

Still, most agree that how Paterson acted as a state senator or lieutenant governor could have little bearing on how he act as governor of the nation's third most populous state.

"I think he'll move closer towards the center now, which is the best position from which to govern," said Assemb. Michael Benjamin (D-Bronx).

Paterson is a creature of the state Senate, having spent 20 years there before becoming Minority Leader, and many analysts expect that his inside knowledge of the legislative process and the relationships he has built with fellow lawmakers will help smooth over any rough spots.