Nearly one week to the hour from the day when Elliot Spitzer first appeared in public after it was revealed that he was linked with a prostitution ring, David Patterson was sworn in as New York’s new Governor:
Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson gathered with leaders of New York State’s Legislature and judiciary in the Assembly chamber at the State Capitol in Albany at 1 p.m. as Mr. Paterson prepared to take the oath of office as New York State’s 55th governor. In a 12-minute inaugural address, he warned “our economy appears to be headed toward crisis,” but also called for a bipartisan spirit of unity and hope. He made indirect reference to his predecessor, Eliot Spitzer, who announced his resignation on Wednesday amid a sex scandal, pledging to move beyond the often confrontational style Mr. Spitzer exhibited in his relations with the Legislature.
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Mr. Paterson then began his remarks with a joke: “NPR took a DNA test for me as they did in the program ‘African-American Lives,’ and they found a number of hits from Ireland and Scotland, so I want to wish you all St. Patrick’s Day.”
He then took turns offering ritual thanks to Judge Kaye, the two clergymen, State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo.
Mr. Paterson then made a self-effacing joke about his visual impairment; he is the first legally blind governor in the state’s history. He recalled that at a State of the State address, while presiding over the Senate as lieutenant governor, “Apparently I was going to bring the gavel down on a glass, like this one,” grasping a water glass. Lowering his voice into a deadpan, Mr. Paterson imitated the Assembly speaker, Sheldon Silver, who, Mr. Paterson said, warned that he was not going to allow the proceeding to be turned into a Jewish wedding.
The reference to the Jewish wedding — as well as Mr. Paterson’s acknowledgment of the Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno, whom he called “my good friend,” and of the Senate minority leader, Malcolm A. Smith — drew warm applause. Indeed, the speech had a strikingly informal nature. “I don’t play basketball, Jimmy, I teach it,” Mr. Paterson jokingly recalled telling the Assembly minority leader, James N. Tedisco, whom he also acknowledged.
Good luck Governor Patterson, I have a feeling you’re going to need it.
Perhaps a care package from another accidental Governor will help:
As he is officially sworn this afternoon, New York’s accidental governor has the support of Connecticut’s accidental governor, M. Jodi Rell, who will be in the audience in Albany and who shipped a care package over the weekend with some lighthearted tools of the trade.
Ms. Rell, a Republican, took over in 2004 when John G. Rowland, scarred by scandal (of the financial, not sexual, variety) resigned amid the threat of impeachment. She sent Mr. Paterson, a Democrat, a Magic 8 Ball to help make decisions, an “Easy” button from Staples (”because nothing is easy,” Ms. Rell told him), Pepto-Bismol and Excedrin. The FedEx package also included a Wiffle Ball, made in Connecticut (“for your staff to let off steam,” she wrote).
The most valuable item in the kit was a season pass to Connecticut’s 138 state parks and forests for those times, “when you need to get away and just enjoy the great outdoors.’’
Heh.
