Posted on 01/02/2009 8:11:24 AM PST by COUNTrecount
Gov. Paterson won't appoint a "caretaker" senator to replace Hillary Clinton, he said Thursday as he warned powerbrokers to stop trying to influence his decision.
Paterson said tapping a big name to hold Clinton's seat until a special election in 2010 would cost the state nearly two years of seniority in the Senate.
"In the United States Senate, the most effective senators are the ones that have seniority," Paterson told reporters during a new year's open house at the Executive Mansion.
His words end speculation that the governor would ask an old-guard political pro - such as former President Bill Clinton or ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo - to keep the seat warm.
Paterson dodged questions about possibly picking Caroline Kennedy, whose star quality has dimmed a bit amid a lackluster public debut.
But he seemed irritated at the furious public lobbying both for and against Kennedy.
He pronounced himself amazed by the "willingness of my colleagues" to share their opinions about Clinton's replacement.
He underscored his point with a story about an umpire famous for delaying his ball and strike calls.
"He said, 'It ain't nothing till I calls it,'" Paterson said. "And that's how I'm telling you. Pass that along to any of these excited people who think they're going to influence me."
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) seemed to get the message.
A day after reportedly saying that he believes Kennedy will be Paterson's ultimate choice and that he will support her if she is, Silver was tight-lipped.
"Speaker Silver believes she is clearly one of the candidates, but this is a choice that is for the governor alone to make," spokesman Dan Weiller said.
Paterson's comments were his first on the Senate seat since before Christmas and came as supporters of Kennedy - especially Mayor Bloomberg's top aide Kevin Sheekey - have continued to press for her appointment.
Sheekey told the Daily News Wednesday that it would be "political malpractice" for Paterson not to appoint Kennedy because of her close relationship with President-elect Barack Obama.
Paterson, when asked Thursday whether Kennedy's relationship with Obama would play a role in his decision, initially replied, "Not really" but then seemed to indicate that he would at least consider it.
"Right now, the huge deficit that the state faces, anybody that has any idea, connection or anything that would help the federal government see that it has to support the states more than it did for the last, basically decade, is a factor that we would consider," Paterson said.
Ya know, anything can happen.
Of course it can, it's all described in the Bible under "Revelation".
So NY will have an UN-ELECTED Governor appointing an UN-ELECTED Senator. When do the “people” get to speak???
I am still amazed that Hillary took this job. It is a short term position of power that hasn’t propelled anyone lately to anything other than , Oh yeah, making lots of $$ off the contacts she makes.
I am convinced she could have taken Reid out and been in charge of the Senate.
So, this tells me she is tired of chasing after the WH and knuckling down to making as many millions as possible.
After all this, it’s just about the money.
They can speak anytime, just repeat after me....thank you massa, may I have another?
...the check hasn’t cleared yet!
Ebonics...
I thought she already had a caretaker for her seat, that Huma chick.
Hillary wants power. She hasn’t given up on the White House and she is going to use State to get it. Watch and be amazed.
Sec. of State did wonders for Thomas Jefferson.
No, Bill will get the seat. That way Hillary will know where he is at night. He can be her shill in the Senate.
Supposed to have something to do with umpires; did find this at christopheravery.com:
“They ain’t nothin’ ‘til I calls ‘em
Jul
5
2006Three Major League Baseball umpires were comparing perspectives on their responsibilities.
I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em boasts the first.
I sees ‘em as I calls ‘em admits the second.
They ain’t nothin’ ‘til I calls ‘em acknowledges the third.Are you aware, as the third umpire apperently is, of how your perceptions shape your reality? If your view of the world were incomplete, or worse, inaccurate, would you want to know? How would you deal with data incontrovertible evidence, as they say inconsistent with your own deeply held beliefs? Would you even be able to perceive the data in front of you?
That’s too many questions for one blog entry but these questions seem to lie just beneath every presentation I make on Responsibility Redefined.
Denial is a powerful position of mind...”
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