Polls Show Gov. David Paterson In Trouble

Newsmax.com:

A new poll released Tuesday shows Gov. David Paterson slumping to the lowest job approval and favorability ratings since he took office almost a year ago.

The Siena College Research Institute also looked at potential 2010 election matchups and found the Democrat trailing Republican Rudy Giuliani — 51 percent to 36 percent — despite a 2-to-1 enrollment advantage for Democrats in New York. They were in a dead heat a month ago. The poll shows Democratic Attorney General Andrew Cuomo leading Paterson 51 to 38 percent in another possible contest. Neither Giuliani nor Cuomo have said they will challenge Paterson in 2010.

The grim news for Paterson comes as he most needs the power of persuasion and public support to deal with the state's fiscal crisis. He is under pressure from special interests that are mounting million-dollar ad campaigns to trash spending cuts in the austere budget he has proposed to the Legislature.

"The commercials against the governor's budget proposals are having an impact," said Steven Greenberg, spokesman for the Siena poll. "More than 80 percent of voters are concerned that the proposed budget cuts in health and education would adversely affect the quality of health care and education in New York."

I don't believe that Paterson is in as much trouble as the press makes it seem. Sure, he's done some dumb stuff (like bragging early on about extramarital affairs and his handling of the Caroline Kennedy-for-Senator episode was inept), but considering that he had to come in under the cloud of the disgrace that is Eliot Spitzer, deal with a state budget that's been a headache for eons and a struggling economy in general, unless he pulls a Spitzer and does something really stupid between now and then, I think he deserves to be the Dem choice for Governor come 2010...especially if Rudy Giuliani is the GOP pick.

Caroline Kennedy Takes Herself Out Of Senate Bid

NYTimes.com:

Caroline Kennedy has withdrawn from consideration for the vacant Senate seat in New York, according to a person told of her decision.

On Wednesday she called Gov. David A. Paterson, who will choose a successor to Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her concerns about Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s deteriorating health (he was hospitalized after suffering a seizure during President Obama’s inaugural lunch on Tuesday ) prompted her decision to withdraw, this person said. Coping with her uncle’s condition was her most important priority, a situation not conducive to starting a high profile public job.

Mr. Paterson had indicated to her that the job was hers if she would accept it, the person said.

She was planning to issue a statement on Wednesday evening.

Good. She wasn't at all qualified to be Senator, sounded like a second-grader when she spoke publicly and came out of nowhere so she sneak in on the back her last name, a surname that's inexplicably treated like its royalty by liberals. But then it's outrageous that Caroline Kennedy was even considered for the job, New Yorkers should remember that when David Paterson comes up for re-election.

Politiks As Usual: In The News 12/29/08

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Children's Book Depicts Santa Fighting Global Warming

Court Of Appeals Upholds Ruling Against Illinois' "Choose Life" License Plates

Study: Murders Among Black Youths Have Risen Sharply Since 2000

Jeb Bush Signals That He's Poised To Run For Senate

Americans Drop Dead As Police Get Taser-Happy

Letter To The Editor: Free Ignacio Ramos And Jose Compean

Entitled Princess Caroline Kennedy's Anti-Family Views

Caroline Kennedy, a woman who rarely votes, has a thinner political resume than Barack Obama and has never governed a tea party, much less a political office, yet feels that her surname alone entitles her to a soon-to-be-vacant U.S. Senate seat, finally speaks on some of her views. Not that anyone should be surprised at which way she leans:

Caroline Kennedy has gone public with her stance on the issues in response to a wave of media inquiries after Kennedy, virtually unknown in the political world, announced her interest in the New York senate seat Hillary Clinton will leave open when she becomes Secretary of State.

As was widely suspected, Kennedy emerged as firmly entrenched in favor of abortion and same-sex "marriage" in keeping with a strongly left-of center persona. In email responses to questions from the New York Times, Kennedy's spokesman Stefan Friedman described her as supporting "full equality and marriage rights for gay and lesbian couples."

Answering the question "Would she oppose legislation that would require minors to notify a parent before obtaining an abortion?" came the response: "Caroline believes that young women facing unwanted pregnancies should have the advice of caring adults, but this should not be required by law."

On the question of late-term abortions, Kennedy was said to "support Roe v. Wade, which prohibits third-trimester abortions except when the life or health of the mother is at risk." Kennedy told the Buffalo News that she opposes the death penalty. A Roman Catholic, Kennedy has no public service record and largely avoided the spotlight until she joined Barack Obama's pre-election team earlier this year, and has since consistently expressed a very high opinion of the President-elect and his policies.

Gov. David Paterson is an idiot if he picks Kennedy for the Senate seat. As New York Congressman Gary Ackerman summed up best: “Everyone knows who she is, but I’m not sure what she is,” Ackerman said. “Eventually she has to get in the ring and face the public.”

“DNA in this business can take you just so far,” said the congressman, before joking, “Rembrandt was a great artist. His brother Murray, on the other hand, Murray Rembrandt, wouldn’t paint a house.”

Politiks As Usual: In The News 12/22/08

Hillary Clinton Campaign Debt Now At $6.4 Million

Princess Caroline Wants To Be Anointed

Sarah Palin Church Burning - 'Hate Crime' Virtually Ignored?

Paul Weyrich Cast Long Shadow In Conservatism

CNN Meteorologist: Manmade Global Warming Theory 'Arrogant'

Courteney Cox: Divorce Is Not An Option

Dangerous Foes Await The Obama Administration, Gaffney Warns

Why Are Female Teachers So Hot For Students?

Obama Names Two Global Warming Nutcases To Cabinet Posts

The Huffington Post Slammed For Content Theft

Caroline Kennedy Has No Business Being Senator Of New York

Liberals are gushing about Caroline Kennedy's interest in replacing Hillary Cilnton in the New York State Senate. Why? Because she's a Kennedy, that's why. And according to liberals, as long as you're a Kennedy you have a right to whatever it is you want:

While Caroline Kennedy is maintaining her public silence about whether she wishes to succeed Senator Hillary Clinton, her uncle, Senator Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, has been working behind the scenes on her behalf, according to Democratic aides.

In recent days the Massachusetts senator has called Gov. David A. Paterson and Senator Charles E. Schumer, as well as Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey, who took over last month as head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee when Mr. Schumer stepped down.

Mr. Kennedy’s message, according to Democratic aides who were not authorized to discuss the conversations, is that Ms. Kennedy — backed by the Kennedy family’s extensive fund-raising network — would have the wherewithal to run back-to-back costly statewide races without having to seek help from Mr. Paterson or Mr. Schumer.

The ability to raise significant money is a key concern for Mr. Paterson, who has been deluged from every direction by politicians interested in the seat, which the governor is expected to fill early next year. Whoever is chosen will have to run in 2010 and again two years later.

Efforts to reach Ms. Kennedy on Monday were unsuccessful. A spokesman for Senator Kennedy declined to comment.

Funny how the liberal press never seems to be able to bring up what Mary Jo Kopechne's family thinks about the great Kennedy legacy. Surely they remember Mary Jo? The young lady and ol' family friend of the Kennedy's who was left to die in Cowardly Lion Ted's submerged car in a freezing river one July night of 1969. Boy would political news aficionados like myself just love to know what a member of the Kopechne family thinks about the Kennedy legacy. But getting back to Caroline Kennedy's bullshit bid to serve as Senator of New York Via Handout...Governor Paterson needs to simply say no.

By rejecting Kennedy Paterson will be sending a strong message that basically says that just because you happen to be a member of some political dynasty doesn't give you a pass when you've never run for political office in your life. And that just because you were born with unlimited money and power to get whatever you want in life doesn't mean that you can just call up one day and entitle yourself to a Senate seat. I'm sure that if he looks hard enough David Paterson can find someone much more qualified and deserving of Hillary's seat. Because by appointing Caroline Kennedy to a Senate seat, Patterson would be disgracing himself along with the entire state of New York.