BUFFALO — Man-hugs and cordial words aside, a pair of dueling speeches from Gov. Paterson and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to Democratic faithful yesterday put the two on a collision course.
The officials’ remarks at the party’s annual fall gathering left many in the room convinced Cuomo was positioning himself for the governor’s office, and that Paterson had no intention on giving it up.
While Cuomo repeatedly insisted he plans only to seek a second term as attorney general, his speech struck broad, general themes normally considered outside the scope of that office.
“Right now, the power has dissipated; people have watched what has gone on in Albany, and they don’t like what they see going on in Albany,” Cuomo told a couple hundred Democrats gathered in the ballroom of the Hyatt Regency Hotel. “We have to restore that trust.”
The attorney general also cautioned state leaders against tax hikes as a way to close a ballooning budget gap.
“It would be a terrible mistake to raise taxes at this time,” Cuomo said. “If we raise taxes, people will vote with their feet. One point is the tipping point, and they will say I’m going to leave this state no matter how beautiful it is.”
Numerous Democrats in the room described the speech as “gubernatorial.” Cuomo has been trouncing Paterson in public-opinion polls for months, and the address came less than two weeks after revelations that President Obama had urged Paterson to withdraw from a run in 2010.
Most Democrats privately admit such open opposition from the White House will prevent Paterson from raising money or rebuilding party support.
Cuomo and Paterson shared a chance encounter as the attorney general left the ballroom.
The men hugged and briefly exchanged words, as photographers snapped away.
Before leaving, Cuomo slapped Paterson on the shoulder and told the governor, “OK, buddy, go get ’em.”
Paterson used a dose of his trademark humor to open a defiant address that revealed no intention to withdraw from next year’s gubernatorial campaign.
“So,” he said, drawing a burst of laughter. “How was your week?”
The governor promised a four-point plan to address the state’s budget woes, including “economic security” and “fiscal fairness” as its legs.
He blamed his slumping popularity on the state’s financial woes, and said he wanted to “stay in the job that I love,” despite complaining just last week that he “did not sign up for this.”