New York Governor David Paterson Under Pressure from President Barack Obama to Pull Out of Governor's Race, Let AG Andrew Cuomo Run Instead

Gov. David Paterson is a dead man walking. It seems that President Barack Obama is meddling in the New York state governor's race. The latest news to hit the airwaves is that POTUS had asked Governor David Paterson to withdraw from the 2010 race for fear that he cannot regroup from a series of political missteps. Hey, that has been my position for several months. But Paterson defied his critics, "I am running for office," he told reporters at a Manhattan parade. "I'm not going to discuss confidential conversations," he said, adding that he planned to continue focusing on matters related to the financial crisis. Whoa. Isn't this the same guy who cried racism as the reason for his abysmal poll numbers several weeks ago? Er, Governor, you need to step aside and let Andrew Cuomo run instead. You are unpopular and people just don't like you anymore. You are just downright ineffective and wouldn't stand a chance against any serious contender from the Republican Party for the governorship.

The New York Times reported on Sunday that the Obama administration is worried Paterson's unpopularity could drag down New York's Democratic members of Congress and the Democratic-controlled state legislature in November 2010 elections. Citing an administration official, the Times reported that Obama's request that Paterson step aside was put forward by his political advisers, but approved by the president. The newspaper quoted another administration official as saying: "Is there concern about the situation in New York? Absolutely." That official said the concern had "been conveyed to the governor."

Paterson, who as lieutenant governor, became an "accidental governor"  last year after Governor Eliot Spitzer stepped down amid a sex scandal. Paterson has seen his approval rating in polls plummet for months after a series of political setbacks. Added to his terrible approval ratings is the global economic crisis that has hit New York hard, with the state struggling with budget shortfalls. The state Senate was gridlocked for nearly five weeks during June and July when both the Republicans and Democrats wrestled for control.

UPDATE#1: Gov. Paterson has outdone himself once again! He blamed President Obama for his current woes. Here are some of his remarks.

If you look at it from their perspective, they haven’t exactly been able to govern in the first year of their administration in the way that other administrations have, where you would have, theoretically, a period in which the new administration is allowed to pass the needed pieces of legislation. To read his entire statement, CLICK HERE.

The president's request is unusual but is stemming from a serious concern that Paterson will not be elected as governor in any election. Obama's request was conveyed to the governor by Rep. Gregory Meeks. While I don't think President Obama should have involved himself with this, it may stem from the fact that Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who was appointed by Paterson to fill Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's senate seat, may be in jeopardy of losing her seat as well. New York Democrats are genuinely concerned that Paterson is toxic right now and may hurt their chances in 2010. So, he is being thrown under the bus by just about everyone, even Rev. Al Sharpton, who contacted the governor and the White House about his concerns.

Last week, a Marist College poll found 20 percent of New York voters approved of Paterson's performance as governor, compared with 21 percent in June. Only 24 percent of Democrats felt he was doing well. Seventy percent of voters said Paterson isn't a viable candidate for 2010, including 65 percent of Democrats. Cuomo, in comparison, had a job approval rating of 69%, with 67% of New Yorkers felt he should run for governor, including 77% of Democrats. So, with that said, Governor Paterson, this is your cue to exit the political stage, at least as governor.

President Obama's strong-arm tactics have cast serious doubts on the ability of Paterson to get anything else done for the remainder of his term. He is the lamest of all lame ducks. For example, the state Senate, still trying to recover from the 31-day stalemate after the June 8 coup, was already reluctant to help the unpopular governor close the $2.1 billion budget gap. This latest no-confidence vote will undoubtedly create a great incentive not to meet the governor half way to resolve this problem. Further, there is a case in the court about the legality of his decision to appoint former Metropolitan Transportation Authority chairman Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor.