Paterson admits role in Kennedy withdrawal flap: report

[catgirl]

Reuters:

NEW YORK (Reuters) – New York Gov. David Paterson has acknowledged ordering his staff to deny that Caroline Kennedy had been his first choice following her withdrawal from consideration to replace Hillary Clinton as senator, The New York Times reported on Saturday.
But in his first admission to any role in the matter of how Kennedy's withdrawal was portrayed, Paterson told the paper in a telephone interview he had never intended anything on the order of what he termed "character assassination."
Paterson said in the interview on Friday that he was bewildered when members of his staff harshly attacked Kennedy, who was considered a strong candidate to replace Clinton, the then secretary of state nominee.

_snip_

Kennedy withdrew her name from consideration shortly after midnight January 22, citing personal reasons. But later that day people in the governor's administration told reporters that tax problems and issues with a domestic worker had emerged, helping scuttle her candidacy -- claims now broadly acknowledged to have been distorted.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20090221/pl_nm/us_usa_politics_paterson



Yah sure.

[Botany]

1. Then why did he pay 65 K to "bushie" who spread rumors and lies ....

..... about Ms. Kennedy?

[Unsane]

28. huh?

[Vinca]

2. What was done to Caroline was not right and now all those who opposed

her are stuck with a woman who keeps guns under her bed.

[DevonRex]

6. Yep. It's a shame. nt

[Cha]

18. I'm not sure "they" give

a shit..but some voters might.

[Exilednight]

33. Some voters might?

I already hear the rumblings around town of people lining up to run in opposition in the Democratic primary.

[dcindian]

3. This is worse then what Blago did

Patterson should step down immediately. What a corrupt and petty bunch of fools we have deciding our fates.

[catgirl]

4. This is similar to the NY Post "apology"

It's apologizing without taking credit for the despicable acts. Now he blames
his aides for his own actions. Weren't his aides uncomfortable with the
smears his office leaked about Caroline? He's a coward.

[Clio the Leo]

5. His first choice?

DOAH!!! I did not know that.

That hurts. So close ..... SO close.

[DevonRex]

7. I've wondered if she got death threats. That could hit way too close to home

for the daughter and neice of assassinated leaders.

[Cha]

19. From

Dems? I would like to know why she dropped out but I think maybe the outta control "assassination" in the press might have done it.

[saltpoint]

31. True. I was really right there with Paterson for a long period, feeling

that he projected a tough-but-smart approach.

And the press in New York was relatively subdued about the whole thing.

Then the reports / leaks / whatever started to go off and it seems as if Paterson lost control of the wheel.

I am a long way from knowing what exactly went down.

[saltpoint]

8. I had initially held Paterson higher than how he appears to have behaved.

At this point in the mix, I think he is not likely to be the Democratic nominee for Gov., and that Andrew Cuomo, who has a very sharp interest in the job, will strike while the iron is hot.

Giuliani, also said to be keenly interested, is less likely to announce his candidacy against Cuomo, if Cuomo is plainly running. Against Paterson, Giuliani likely saw an opening.

[Cha]

17. I don't know what to think about Paterson..

He said he only wanted it known that Caroline wasn't his first choice but he can't control his staff?

The way Caroline was attacked in the press coming from "dems" in New York made me cringe and left me not even interested in how the remaining vultures work it out.

:hi: saltpoint

[saltpoint]

21. Cha. Hey there and howdy. Yep. It's mighty puzzlin' evidence.

Somebody isn't giving us both scoops of our ice cream.

Good to run into you. Hope you're doing well.

[Top Cat]

9. Patterson is full of shit

He's done

[Barack_America]

10. And did he then fire said staff members?

The ones that so "bewildered" him with their conduct?

I doubt it and that tells me a lot abot what really happened here.

[WolverineDG]

11. She did not deserve the treatment she got from Patterson

and from some posters on DU. I've never heard of her trash-talking anyone, yet she was run through the mud here & in the press. Patterson is toast.

dg

[karynnj]

12. Henry II would understand,

"Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?"

Patterson is admitting wanting his staff to spin - and he then acts surprised when they go further than what he wants us to believe he said - when one of them was known to have smeared people for Bush. I think people still blame Henry II for the murder of Beckett.

[EFerrari]

14. I sure learned a lot about Paterson during the Kennedy trial balloon.

He's awful.

[democrat2thecore]

22. Awful is an understatement - Paterson is just another lying, deceptive "leader." -nt

[saltpoint]

13. Andrew Cuomo likely wants the job. Do you New York DUers see

anybody who can stop him if he decides to challenge Paterson for the nomination?

[Yukari Yakumo]

26. I'm not a NY DUer, but even I can answer that.

And the answer is this: The rest of the state north of Manhattan.

[saltpoint]

29. Is that true? That A. Cuomo does not enjoy significant upstate support?

I had thought the reverse.

[AtomicKitten]

15. This is rather after the fact since he already got caught paying a Bushie to trash her.

I have no doubt karma will bite him in the ass for this.

[anonymous171]

16. HOW DARE HE CHALLENGE THE KENNEDY FAMILY'S DIVINE RIGHT TO RULE! nt

[Cha]

27. Oh, fucking

bullshit..is that the best you got?

[Beacool]

20. I never thought that Caroline should have been considered in the first place.

Not for an appointed senate seat. What were her real qualifications for the job other than her name and having supported Obama? I see nothing wrong in Paterson saying that she was not his first choice.

On the other hand, it was prety low to trash her character with innuendos of an affair and tax problems. That was hitting below the belt, and worse yet, the rumors don't appear to be even true.

x(

[democrat2thecore]

23. But that's not the point

Paterson LIED. He didn't have to shove her face in s**t and smear it. Talk about typical deceptive politician. Ugh, he's awful. And not just on this, by the way, his refusal to increases taxes on the wealthiest is so obviously politically calculated. He also made several statements regarding the stimulus that mad no economic sense whatsoever. David Sirota wrote a piece on how ignorant Paterson is on economics and how the governor shoots his mouth off about things he clearly knows nothing about. Cuomo will challenge him in the primaries - and win handily.

[Beacool]

24. Well, that just reinforces by viewpoint on Caroline.

Paterson is another appointee, no one elected him. I do agree about Cuomo, he definitely will challenge Paterson in 2010.

;)

[Raineyb]

25. The Lt. Governor is elected on the same ticket as the Governor

Anyone who voted for Spitzer also voted for Patterson. It is the state equvilent of Vice President. Patterson is no more appointed than Vice President Biden would be considered appointed if he were to become President because something happened to President Obama.

Your attempt to dismiss Patterson's legitimacy by comparing him to an appointed Senator is to say the very least disingenuous.

Regards

[book_worm]

30. The whole thing was a fiasco. Patterson should have acted quickly and not publicly

he in all probability will be defeated for renomination next year.

[catgirl]

32. He clearly enjoyed the power it gave him

Sound familiar?