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| Departure: New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer announced his resignation Wednesday. His wife, Silda, stood by. stephen chernin/AP |
After Spitzer: Paterson brings political acumen to New York politics
Set to become governor Monday, the politician is known for his drive and affability.
By Alexandra Marks | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitorfrom the March 13, 2008 edition
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New York - The man in line to be New York's next governor is, in many ways, the accidental governor.
And as David Paterson has done all his life, the legally blind African-American is counting on people to underestimate him.
He will be sworn in Monday, catapulted into the governor's chair after a sex scandal forced Gov. Eliot Spitzer to announce on Wednesday that he will resign.
Governor Spitzer rose to national prominence as the scourge of corrupt corporations but was forced from office amid allegations that he had been a longtime client of an international prostitution ring. In announcing his resignation, Spitzer again apologized to his family and the public.
"I'm deeply sorry I did not live up to what was expected of me," Spitzer said in a brief statement Wednesday morning. "To every New Yorker and to all of those who believed in what I tried to stand for, I sincerely apologize."
Spitzer's resignation will become effective on Monday. He told reporters that Lieutenant Governor Paterson had asked for that additional time to allow for an orderly transition. As Spitzer ended his political life, he also made it clear he did not intend to disappear from public life.
"As human beings, our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall," he said. "As I leave public life I will do first and foremost what is needed to heal myself and my family and then I will try once again, outside of politics, to serve the common good."
Paterson is the scion of a powerful Harlem family. But his rise to power through New York's sometimes arcane political system is due to his intellect, determination, personable character, and political skills, according to people who have worked with him over the years.
And they're counting on those attributes and skills to bring healing to the state, which has been shocked by the sudden fall from grace of Spitzer. Spitzer had come to Albany just over a year ago priding himself as a "steamroller" determined to reform the moribund state capital. Instead, he alienated lawmakers in both parties and found himself with few if any allies in his current troubles. Paterson, on the other hand, has 20 years of legislative experience and is known and well-liked on both sides of the aisle for his humor and candidness.
"You can see he's a fighter, people have underestimated this guy in the past, but I think he'll prove to be every bit up to the challenge," says state Sen. Martin Golden, a leading Republican. "He knows how this process works, he comes from the city of New York, he grew up hard – his blindness has forced him to overcome lots of obstacles."
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