Actual NYT 'Bombshell' Drops Straight On Paterson's Head

Excellent response (4.00 / 1)

Take it head on, make the governor seem legitimately shocked and angry, and pushing the duties to your opponent to smear you so that a) it looks completely impartial and b) anything he finds you can label as a smear attack.

Brilliant.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 04:23:23 AM UTC

You don't survive this story... (4.00 / 2)

You just don't. The Times warmed the public up with their first DJ story, suckered Paterson into defending him, then KO'ed him with this story. Paterson barely staying afloat, if not downright drowning before this, and the Times just gave him a pair of cement shoes and threw him a bucket of water for good measure.

Reality has a well known liberal Bias-Stephen Colbert

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by: pierredude @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 04:38:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Nah. (4.00 / 1)

This is out of the papers in a week.

Nothing to tie it to Paterson.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 05:15:10 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Guys won't care (2.67 / 3)

Women will.  How much it matters will be an indicator of how socially acceptable violence toward and intimidation of women is in 2010.

Unfortunately, I'm prepared for the intense pain of you calling it accurately: that beating up on women, literally or figuratively, is really no big deal, and if it is something your closest friends do, oh, well, boys will be boys.

This still totally reminds me of Silver and his "trusted aide" who liked to bully women.  In that case, Boxley eventually went when one of the women he raped and physically abused went way out on a limb to bring him to justice.  Silver, of course, just got a new aide.

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by: robinia @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 14:13:32 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

You are absolutely 100% wrong. Guys will care. (0.00 / 0)

I don't usually rate comments, but that is just a really nasty unfair mischaracterization of my sex. It's just not socially acceptable for big men to beat up on little men and it's considered beneath contempt to beat up women. Period. Guys like that are are outcasts, stigmatized by other guys as total losers.That's why it's soooo humiliating for them and their victims when they're outed.

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by: JohnS @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 14:37:09 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

This is idiotic. (0.00 / 0)

Men who beat up on women are contemptible, cowardly scum. Contrary to what you assert, baselessly, it is a big deal.

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by: Michael Bouldin @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 15:16:39 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Thanks, ya'll (0.00 / 0)

I would actually love to be wrong on this one.  I may be overly influenced to despair by my personal experiences in this regard, and by the similarities of the situation to the Boxley case, which it really reminds me of, and/or Monserate, who was defended by many.

I'm pleased (and not surprised) to hear that, in your case, you would not act that way, would consider it a big deal. Please note that a large number of your fellow-guys do, did, and will in future not get it.  Including some that I have had too up-close-and-personal experience with....

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by: robinia @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 17:08:53 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

In much the same way (4.00 / 1)

as I don't find it useful to make broad-brush assertions about, say, women, I don't find it useful to make them about men. Violence of the stronger against the weaker tends to be something civilized people find abhorrent, and I'd posit that the vast majority of men fall into that category. Not all, certainly, but that's why we have laws and social opprobrium.

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by: Michael Bouldin @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 20:59:16 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's certainly a big deal (0.00 / 0)

I just feel like I've seen this move 100 times before.

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by: Amherst Guy @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 17:26:14 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yep. (0.00 / 0)

I've seen it 100 times before, too, and a few times from the wrong angle. :-(  Tired, sick and tired of it.

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by: robinia @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 20:31:36 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

It actually sounds like I'm wrong. (0.00 / 0)

The phrase "Huddling with advisors" and "Talking with fellow Democrats" usually precede bailing out of a campaign.

I'm still doubting he steps down from his current term (and I'm actually kind of opposed to it, because I've read the appropriate documents and I still believe legally Espada is correct about succession and that Ravich is wrong, and that going back to court scares the fucking bejeezus out of me.)

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by: Amherst Guy @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 00:55:37 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Denise O'Donnell cares (4.00 / 3)

She just resigned.

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by: NYCO @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 19:25:12 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Nothing to tie it to Paterson? Surely you jest. (4.00 / 1)

It's doubtful that anybody wants to hear any more howls of outrage from Paterson about being victimized by the press and his "opponents." How such a complete zero can be soooo fatiguing is probably worth a study. I had high hopes for him too, post-Spitzer, but now I'll be perfectly content never to hear his name again.  

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by: JohnS @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 14:22:58 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I agree (0.00 / 0)

I just don't see any chance at recovery.  If Cuomo appoints a special investigator then you know he is going to run, not that there is much doubt.  

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by: shepherd @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 05:15:26 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

It's not the politics that bother me. (4.00 / 5)

It's the actions.

If this is true, the Governor should be indicted for witness tampering-- sending his private detail and phoning her-- and probably for abuse of authority (again, sending his private detail).

He also may be guilty of putting his faith and trust in the wrong person or people. That may not be indictable, but it certainly doesn't make me inclined to assist his campign.

If this is true, then he isn't worthy of our support. And I'm saying that as one of the voices who has been outspoken here as a supporter (http://www.thealbanyproject.com/diary/7947/governor-patersons-road-to-victory, among others).

His response is way too tepid and weak to allow for anyone to speculate that something was misunderstood.

If this is true, Governor-- and you know yourself whether it is-- then you should at a minimum suspend your campaign immediately and perhaps even resign.

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by: davesnyd @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 12:34:53 PM UTC

Paterson's explanation doesn't hold up to scrutiny (4.00 / 1)

How many of us have the governor's number on speed dial? Anyone? Didn't think so:

Then, just before she was due to return to court to seek a final protective order, the woman got a phone call from the governor, according to her lawyer. She failed to appear for her next hearing on Feb. 8, and as a result her case was dismissed.

[. . .]

Through a spokesman, Mr. Paterson said the call actually took place the day before the scheduled court hearing and maintained that the woman had initiated it. He declined to answer further questions about his role in the matter. (emphases mine)

Sorry, gov. I don't buy it.

If I want to get the governor on the phone, what are my chances? Now, I suppose there's a chance a staffer made the call initially before transferring her to the governor -- and Paterson thought she actually initiated the phone call. It's also remotely possible that she was able to convince an aide that it was important for the governor to talk to her, but I think that's highly unlikely.

And it doesn't make sense that she would initiate the call, under the circumstances -- especially, given that she says she was living in fear.

These conflicting statements are the issue. Phone records should clear this up.

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by: urizon @ Thu Feb 25, 2010 at 17:24:23 PM UTC

As A Woman (4.00 / 2)

I am totally disguted at the actions of Johnson but mostly of Paterson.  Any man who hits a woman is a p.o.s. and any of his friends that back him up are lower than pond scum.

My message to Paterson, cancel your campaign kick offs scheduled for this weekend and announce that you've decided not to run because I guarantee you this information has just killed any idea that you may have had that you could win.  Additionally, watch how many pols pull back on their endorsement or showing up at this weekends campaign kick offs.  

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by: ROSALIE907 @ Fri Feb 26, 2010 at 02:37:53 AM UTC