Paterson's Survival Reveals “Beast” of Political Scandal: Analysis

Four months ago, Gov. David Paterson faced calls even from Democratic allies to resign. He was accused repeatedly of drug and sex parties at the executive mansion and the subject of other salacious rumors. But his biggest headache was a claim that he'd tried to silence a woman who accused one of his top aides of hurting her in a fight in their Bronx apartment.

It turns out none of it would be proven.

Special prosecutor Judith Kaye, the state's respected former chief judge, last week found no criminal action was warranted against Paterson in the domestic violence case. But Paterson isn't celebrating.

Part of that is because Kaye's report wasn't all good news. She said the governor's office failed to cooperate fully as Paterson publicly promised, and that Paterson's decision to contact the woman who accused his aide contradicts his longtime political commitment to women victimized by domestic violence. And Paterson still isn't clear from an ethics charge over whether he sought free World Series tickets from the New York Yankees and, according to the state ethics commission, may have lied about it.

The Democrat has lost much during the term he inherited following the prostitution scandal of Gov. Eliot Spitzer. Once one of the most respected and popular legislators in Albany, Paterson went from the state's savior to dropping out of a campaign for a full term, at least partly because of claims that were never proven. It took just 11 months.

"It's only unfair to the degree that in our current politics, everything gets magnified by a factor of 20,'' said Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College poll and a career political observer. "But that's the nature of the beast right now.''

Paterson provided the perfect meal for that beast.

While he lacked the experience and many felt lacked the leadership skills and personal discipline to be governor, he also stepped into the worst fiscal crisis in 80 years. He made decisions that made enemies of the Legislature and powerful special interests before he could make them allies. He also wasn't elected governor, so he lacked the deeper support of voters that translates into power.

But there is also something in the air in political towns like Albany and Washington, Miringoff said. Some of it is simply more politicians doing bad or stupid things and getting caught. But some of it is a heightened expectation within the political-media complex that even more politicians must be doing bad and stupid things, and not wanting to miss it.

That's not to say the Kaye inquiry wasn't warranted. It was and it may yet result in a charge against Paterson's aide, David Johnson. But the heat of scandal helped gird official Albany from acting on Paterson's repeated efforts to address the real fiscal crisis before it.

"If you are not particularly popular going in, and don't have the reservoir of public opinion to cushion you, rumors hurt if they are believable,'' Miringoff said. "Things can turn against you quickly in a political town,'' he said.

Political scientist Doug Muzzio of Baruch College described the current state of Albany as a place were "logic and proportion had fallen sloppy dead,'' quoting Jefferson Airplane's 1967 song "White Rabbit.''

"The chattering and governing classes had David Paterson resigning,'' he said, noting that most of the governor's wounds were self-inflicted. Still, "the governor and aides fought a story that didn't exist, responded to news that was fake ... Paterson was seriously hobbled in his relations with the Legislature.''

The result was a political arms race, where the need for compromise was pitted against the desire for political gain. Rampant cynicism further turns off New Yorkers from watching what's being done in Albany to New York and its future. All the accusations, all the political conflict, all the scandals don't save one job, cut one tax bill, better educate one child or keep a young New Yorker from moving out of state.

"All this messiness makes for good water cooler gossip, but it doesn't have anything to do with what is going on in the real lives of people,'' Miringoff said. "That creates a huge gap between our government bodies and the public. This circus, this atmosphere of scandals and improprieties and finger pointing has created just a perception on the part of voters that things are broken and are not getting fixed. And that doesn't work well when the economy is so bad.''

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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