Paterson’s Alleged Remarks Stir Albany

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

As Governor Paterson sought to distance himself from a published report quoting him discharging a lengthy, blistering critique of Mayor Bloomberg, lawmakers and others in Albany were left wondering whether the alleged comments were just a blowing off of steam or the first salvo in a possible contest between the two leaders in 2010.

Around the Capitol, lawmakers expressed amazement at the harshness of the remarks attributed to the normally even-keeled governor, who was quoted in the New York Post attacking Mr. Bloomberg as a desperate, lame-duck mayor who is out of touch with the common voter and filled with rage reminiscent of Eliot Spitzer’s.

“You can’t trust him,” Mr. Paterson reportedly said in a private conversation that was apparently relayed to the Post’s Fredric Dicker, the newspaper’s Albany bureau chief, who cited an anonymous source with “firsthand knowledge of Paterson’s comments.”

“He has the same kind of anger that reminds you of Spitzer,” the governor was quoted as saying. “I think he’s starting to be concerned that he can’t get anything done.”

Mr. Paterson, in a news conference, denied having made the comments but declined to criticize the report, demand a retraction from the newspaper, or express the slightest hint of outrage at the idea that somebody close to him — either in or outside the administration — is claiming to speak for him.

“There are a lot of people who say they are friends of yours who will goad you into fights with people because they are having problems with the people, so I’m not saying that Fred’s quote is inaccurate, I’m just saying that whoever said it to him did not tell him what I actually said,” he said. “So why would I demand a retraction?” he said.

Earlier in the day, his chief of staff, Charles O’Byrne, called high-level legislative staffers to assure them that the report was false, a source said.

Mr. Bloomberg, in a separate news conference in the city, said he wasn’t fazed by the alleged remarks, and said he was confident that such insults couldn’t have come from the governor.

Lawmakers and other political observers yesterday speculated about the implications of the remarks if they were indeed uttered by the governor.

“It’s a preview perhaps of a difficult relationship between the governor and the mayor, not necessarily on policy but on personality,” a Democratic senator of Harlem, William Perkins, said.

Others wondered if the remarks were a warning shot from a governor concerned about a potential rival in the 2010 race. Mr. Bloomberg has said he isn’t running, but polls show that the popular billionaire mayor would beat Mr. Paterson if the election were held now.

Perhaps, as some guessed, Mr. Paterson is offering a taste of attacks to come should Mr. Bloomberg change his mind.

“The people of New York City may be okay with the mayor taking off and flying to his private home in Bermuda every weekend, but if he did that at the state level, I think the people would send him a different message,” the Post article quoted Mr. Paterson as saying.

A former top aide to Mr. Bloomberg, William Cunningham, said such a strategy could backfire on the governor.

“You’re a new governor. A lot of people don’t know much about you. And now somebody is attributing to you trash talk about the mayor. Why would you go down that road?” Mr. Cunningham said.

At the very least, the comments reinforced the impression that tensions between the administrations, which simmered during the mayor’s failed quest to win Albany approval of his congestion-pricing plan, had come to a boil on Friday when Mr. Paterson announced that he had clinched a last-minute deal to take over the city’s Off-Track Betting parlors.

To the chagrin of the Paterson administration, Mr. Bloomberg skipped the press conference and denied that an agreement had been reached, accusing the state of shortchanging the city’s share of gambling revenue. The two sides eventually worked out a final deal over the weekend to avoid a shutdown of the parlors.

“Obviously, had we all been at the press conference Friday, I think it would have alleviated the gossip or whoever it is that wants to stir the pot here,” Mr. Paterson said.

The length and scope of the alleged quotes from Mr. Paterson — which encompassed about half of the article — seemed to indicate that either the governor had spoken directly with Mr. Dicker or the reporter had access to a tape of a conversation.

“It came off as if he was talking to David himself,” Mr. Perkins said.

Mr. Bloomberg sought to downplay any damage the report may have done, saying he didn’t know where the story had come from.

“I don’t think David Paterson and I have ever exchanged a cross word. He is as likeable and easygoing and as nice a guy as you would ever want to meet,” he said. He added that Mr. Paterson has become a social friend as well as a business friend, and is “just not the kind of guy to say any of that.”

When describing his relationship with Mr. Paterson, the mayor said: “It has been so far away from anything acrimonious” that the report “is just so laughable. I don’t know where the stuff came from.”

A souring of the relationship between Messrs. Bloomberg and Paterson could be detrimental to the city, which is reliant on the support of Albany lawmakers to implement policy programs and move ahead with development and transportation projects.

“People always say that politics is never personal, but it’s always personal. And those kinds of comments appearing in the paper create personal animosity — there’s no question about it,” a political consultant, Henry Sheinkopf, said.


The New York Sun

© 2024 The New York Sun Company, LLC. All rights reserved.

Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. The material on this site is protected by copyright law and may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used.

The New York Sun

Sign in or  Create a free account

By continuing you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use