Gov. Paterson was being as inscrutable as ever yesterday as he first suggested he did, and then said he didn’t, have a replacement for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton – even as Clinton’s confirmation as President Obama’s secretary of state was delayed for at least a day.
Paterson, in Washington for the inauguration, initially told reporters he had “a good idea now which direction I want to go” in picking Clinton’s successor. Caroline Kennedy and state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo are among the leading candidates under consideration.
DAY OF DESTINY FOR ALL AMERICA
COMPLETE INAUGURATION COVERAGE
But a short time later, Paterson told a TV interviewer, “I’m not totally sure who I’m going to appoint yet.”
Paterson did say he had been “very impressed” with Kennedy during an interview, calling her “hardworking, very forthright.”
“I’m weighing her ability and her acumen and what she might be able to do for New York” against what he called “rather stiff competition.”
He also said “I’m considering” Cuomo, whom he credited with “outstanding qualities.”
Paterson, who has been considering a replacement for Clinton for nearly two months, said he expected to make the announcement “by Saturday.”
Last Friday, the governor claimed he had changed his mind on the pick for Senate.
Meanwhile, Clinton’s expected confirmation yesterday was dealt a setback when Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) blocked a voice vote, saying he wanted “a full and open debate and an up-or-down vote” on whether she should join the Cabinet.
“Important questions remain unanswered concerning the Clinton Foundation and its acceptance of donations from foreign entities,” said Cornyn, referring to former President Bill Clinton’s international charity.
A spokesman insisted Cornyn did not want to block Clinton’s confirmation.
Jim Manley, an aide to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), said Clinton would likely receive Senate approval in a roll-call vote today.
Shortly after Obama’s inauguration, Clinton and Cornyn were observed in a heated discussion at the Capitol during a luncheon attended by the new president.
The Senate confirmed six other members of Obama’s Cabinet, including Steven Chu as energy secretary, Arne Duncan as secretary of education, Janet Napolitano as homeland security chief, Eric Shinseki as veterans-affairs secretary, Ken Salazar as secretary of the interior and Tom Vilsack as head of the Department of Agriculture.
Paterson had raised eyebrows Monday night when, while praising Clinton at a gathering of New York Democrats in Washington, he said she had “ascended to such an extent that we can’t even find an apt replacement.”