Gov. Paterson came to his senses yesterday and canceled his junket to this week’s World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
We take full credit.
After all, didn’t we gently chide His Excellency on the inadvisability of such an adventure on this page yesterday?
And then didn’t he quick as a wink change his mind?
“I thought perhaps it would be a better idea to go at another time,” he said yesterday. “[I’ll] stay right here with the leaders of the Legislature and work on the budget.”
As well he should.
If only Paterson had moved with such dispatch in picking a replacement for former Sen. Hillary Clinton.
And what a hash that was, once it did get underway.
Paterson addressed that mess yesterday, too – toe-dancing around the truth with reporters regarding responsibility for last week’s savage, anonymous trashing of Caroline Kennedy.
Were he or his aides responsible?
“I’m denying it,” he said.
But wait.
“There have been leaks coming from my administration throughout this entire process of choosing a senator, of contradictory types of information,” he added. “Now, as you know, this is a pretty serious thing, and one that I actually would condemn.”
Ah, but only if he had condemned it – back when it mattered – he might not be looking so ridiculous today.
As it is, it’s hard to believe a word Paterson says on the topic. (Or on any topic, for that matter.)
“I would love to know who’s responsible,” he said yesterday. “But at this point I’ve been unable to determine that.”
Well – if that’s true, Paterson may be the only person in Albany who doesn’t know.
His loyalty to his aides is commendable, perhaps, but it comes at a terrible price: his credibility with the people of New York.
Which is dropping like an anchor in the ocean.
Yesterday, two well-regarded state polls – one from upstate Siena College and the other from Quinnipiac University – showed Paterson in virtual free fall.
Now, New Yorkers aren’t naive. They expect pols to lie.
But they also expect pols to lie with some finesse.
And they certainly don’t expect politicians to take a slam-dunk positive-PR opportunity like the appointment of a United States senator and turn it into a circus sideshow.
Now New York looks dumber than Illinois, for Pete’s sake.
Is that even possible?
In David Paterson’s New York, it most certainly is.
Still, he sure did make the right decision on Davos, didn’t he?
No need to thank us for the sound advice, Governor.