A GUY WHO CAN'T SAY NO:

Paterson's Own History (HENRY STERN, March 13, 2008, NY Sun)

The chances are that Mr. Paterson will do better than expected. First, he will not arouse the personal animosity that Mr. Spitzer was so quick to engender both by his language and by his obvious contempt for the lesser mortals around him. Second, after the disputatious year 2007, legislators will want to settle down and show that they can get along with each other. While it is too early to predict an Era of Good Feeling, such as how President Madison's administration was characterized, state officials will try to avoid public controversies, at least for a while. There is an unexpected opportunity for a second honeymoon. Still, the real David Paterson is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, as Winston Churchill once described the Soviet Union. He was not a lifelong resident of Harlem but was born in Brooklyn, where his parents lived, on May 20, 1954. Later they moved to Hempstead and his father became a partner in a high-powered law firm in Mineola. [...]

He is legally blind, although he has limited sight out of one eye, a condition he has had since birth. Mr. Paterson has an excellent memory, and gives compelling speeches on substantive issues. His achievements, despite his disability, are inspiring, and he will be a role model for many others with similar issues. [...]

No one speaks ill of David Paterson, and in my own limited experience with him, he has been kind and thoughtful. I really like him. He is not cavalier in dealing with people of lesser importance. People respect him. Years ago, he proposed that police officers be permitted only to shoot to wound, not to kill, but withdrew that notion in the face of public disapproval. He is pro-choice and supports gay marriage. His positions are what one might expect from a liberal Democrat from the Upper West Side and Harlem.

Now, for the first time, Mr. Paterson will have to confront budget issues, choose among priorities, and disappoint people who do not get what they want.

Mr. Paterson describes himself as someone who doesn't like saying "no" to anybody. That's not really a qualification for public office.

Posted by Orrin Judd at March 13, 2008 8:31 AM