Posted on 03/15/2008 11:55:43 PM PDT by neverdem
On Monday, through a twist that few could have foreseen, Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson will be sworn in as the 55th governor of New York — an accidental governor thrust into a position of extraordinary power by the sudden, gaudy downfall of his former running mate, Eliot Spitzer.
His rise from relative obscurity to center stage has come with astonishing speed, and with it, Mr. Paterson is about to face something new: serious scrutiny of his legislative record, political connections and handling of government money over two decades.
A review of Mr. Paterson’s time in office reveals many of the typical footprints of a long legislative career. But it also shows that at times he supported controversial policies, made strikingly candid comments and took actions that might have raised questions about conflicts of interest. By and large, his record escaped notice.
As a state senator, for instance, Mr. Paterson helped direct hundreds of thousands of dollars to a hospital in his Harlem district that for a time employed his wife, including for two years as its paid lobbyist in Albany.
He sponsored legislation that would have made it legal for noncitizens to vote in state and local elections and another bill that would have made it legal to use force against a police officer while resisting a wrongful arrest — a proposal that was blasted by police unions and...
--snip--
One bill would have made it a crime for police officers to shoot to kill a suspect instead of shooting to merely stop the person. “There is no justification for terminating another’s life when a less extreme measure may accomplish the same objective,” the memo in support of the bill said. “For example, an officer would have to try to shoot a suspect in the arm or the leg...”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
WOW
spotty record...
He’ll make a swell Democrat Gov of NY
:)
[But Mr. Paterson appears to have been testing the limits of his own policy by helping North General Hospital, a small, private hospital in his district. . . His wife, Michelle Paige Paterson, worked as North General’s director of government affairs from 2002 to 2005. . .Ms. Paterson became the authorized lobbyist for the hospital in August 2003, about eight months after her husband was named the Democratic leader in the Senate.]
Can’t make chicken salad out of chicken sh*t.
Sounds like another POS, only this guy is legally blind. The other Democrats just play blind.
FReepmail me if you want on or off my New York ping list.
Hmmm, a relative unknown, his wife’s name Michelle, and money from hubby’s legislative toil directed to her employer, a hospital...sounds remarkably similar to the Obama story.
Typical lefty Demo views on crime. Try to protect the criminals. Hamper the police and certainly don’t let them kill a suspect, even when the cop’s life is in mortal danger. That an inordinate amount of crime is committed by minorities must be his reason for thinking in that case.
*sigh*
Thanks for the ping!
And, he flunked the bar exam, so he's going to be perfect!
He also introduced bills that would have extended the right to vote to noncitizens, extended a temporary income tax on wealthy New Yorkers to pay for schools, and extended the time during which people could sue for medical malpractice.
To some lawmakers, Mr. Paterson’s candor is a sign that he has yet to be tested in the glare of the public spotlight. He seemed to acknowledge as much in a radio interview on Friday when he responded, with both humor and frankness, to a question about his breathtaking ascent to governor.
“I kind of feel like the student who’s getting ready for the final exam,” he said, “but they didn’t attend any classes.”
Though I am glad to see that ahole out of office, I'm holding on to my hat!
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