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Report: Paterson Wasn't Spitzer's 1st, 2nd Or 3rd Choice
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 7, 2010
Modified Mar 8, 2010
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 7, 2010
Modified Mar 8, 2010
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The Post has a ball while reporting on how Eliot Spitzer came to choose David Paterson as his running mate: Apparently Spitzer's aides were warned that Paterson was a "hard partier," a reference to Paterson's "extramarital dalliances, past drug use and penchant for late-night clubbing. But Spitzer's people didn't get the message." An aide tells the Post, "We didn't know what 'hard partying' even meant. Our idea of fun is to go exercise. The thinking was, 'He enjoys partying -- that's nice!'" HA!
What else? Well, Paterson's own father and the rest of the Gang of Four were pushing Spitzer to name Leecia Eve as his running mate, but another former Spitzer staffer said the Steamroller "was just nuts that anyone would force him to go in a certain direction. He instantaneously said no to her." And other minority women who got Spitzer's lieutenant governor pitch (you know, to "balance the ticket") turned him down.
Paterson ended up suggesting, "Why not me?" during a meeting with Spitzer. Though Spitzer was reportedly shocked, given Paterson's dad's support of Eve, on paper Paterson seemed to complement Spitzer. But his aides never really vetted him, "We didn't dig into his work ethic -- does he have a record of seeing an issue through to completion? We thought that he had risen through the ranks. We assumed he had the same background as we did -- you work your ass off," only to find Paterson rarely around. An aide said, "We got the sense that you had two David Patersons -- one was sharp and insightful, and then there was the distracted David who missed meetings and wasn't contributing."
Tagged
david paterson
eliot spitzer
governor paterson
lieutenant governor
two David patersons
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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