Originally published Sunday, March 16, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Path of political footprints leads Paterson to Albany
Lt. Gov. David Paterson's rise to the top has come with great speed, and with it comes new scrutiny.
The New York Times
On Monday, through a twist that few could have foreseen, Lt. Gov. David Paterson will be sworn in as the 55th governor of New York — an accidental governor thrust into a position of extraordinary power by the sudden, gaudy downfall of his former running mate, Eliot Spitzer.
His rise from relative obscurity to center stage has come with astonishing speed, and with it, Paterson is about to face something new: serious scrutiny of his legislative record, political connections and handling of government money over two decades.
A review of Paterson's time in office reveals many of the typical footprints of a long legislative career. But it also shows that at times he supported controversial policies, made strikingly candid comments and took actions that might have raised questions about conflicts of interest. By and large, his record escaped notice.
As a state senator, for instance, Paterson helped direct hundreds of thousands of dollars to a hospital in his Harlem district that for a time employed his wife, including for two years as its paid lobbyist in Albany.
He sponsored legislation that would have made it legal for noncitizens to vote in state and local elections and another bill that would have made it legal to use force against a police officer while resisting a wrongful arrest — a proposal that was blasted by police unions and went nowhere. And his father, Basil Paterson, is a top lawyer for some of the state's most powerful unions, whose money has long influenced policymaking in Albany.
Within the confines of the Harlem district that he represented for 23 years, Paterson is a well-known commodity. But to the rest of the state, he is a virtual unknown, having received little attention and even less scrutiny.
"He is a governor who has only been, quote unquote, 'vetted,' by the constituents in his state Senate district in Manhattan," said Douglas A. Muzzio, a political scientist at Baruch College. "He has never gotten the statewide scrutiny that a gubernatorial candidate would expect."
In a statement Saturday, Paterson's office said his legislative record was "thoroughly reviewed when he was chosen to join the ticket with Attorney General Spitzer."
Paterson, 53, was first elected in 1985, at age 31, to the Senate seat in Harlem his father once held. He gained a reputation as a smart, engaging, funny, consensus-driven leader who pushed for reform in a state government that had become famous for dysfunction.
Copyright © 2008 The Seattle Times Company
NEW - 5:48 PM
Drug czar Kerlikowske says Jackson's death a wake-up call
UPDATE - 06:14 PM
AP sources: Burris won't run for full Senate term
UPDATE - 06:11 PM
GOP to call on firefighter Sotomayor ruled against
Tough fight coming up in Afghanistan, Petraeus says in Seattle
UPDATE - 08:44 PM
Health care overhaul suffers another setback

Gen. David Petraeus: Iraq and Afghanistan Wars
Watch highlights of General David Petraeus discussing the Iraq and Afghanistan War at the Global Leadership Series sponsored by the World Affairs Council.
Entertainment | Top Video | World | Offbeat Video | Sci-Tech
shopping

events for Thursday, Jul. 9th
- South Lake Union Farmers Market
- Posh on Main Semiannual Sale
- REI Summer Sale and Clearance
- Impulse + Totokaelo Spring Inventory...
editors' picks
More shopping guides- Key lawmakers warn of Boeing no-strike ultimatum
- Hemmed-in Ballard house to rise above
- Seattle-area homebuilder losing projects to foreclosure
- Health-plan costs soar for individuals
- UW Football | Tailbacks David Freeman, Brandon Johnson ineligible
- Drunken man shocks Spain with his generosity
- Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
- Experts work to untangle US, Korea cyber attack
- Nickels gives City Light chief $40,000 bonus
- Coffee City | New "sexpresso" stand coming to Ballard
- Mass. files lawsuit against federal marriage law
911 - Key lawmakers warn of Boeing no-strike ultimatum
614 - Health-plan costs soar for individuals
491 - Teen charged in pit bull attacks ordered held after pleading not guilty
148 - Texas Rangers at Seattle Mariners: 07/09 game thread
107 - World's largest solar plant may be built in Cle Elum
97 - Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
88 - Wednesday night notes
84 - Pay parking in West Seattle?
76 - House Dems want to expand secret briefings
61
- Seattle-area homebuilder losing projects to foreclosure
- Hemmed-in Ballard house to rise above
- Key lawmakers warn of Boeing no-strike ultimatum
- Health-plan costs soar for individuals
- World's largest solar plant may be built in Cle Elum
- Rick Steves' Europe | Beware of new and classic travel scams
- Happy Hour | Ruth's Chris has super rib-eye sliders and quality cocktails
- Trees vs. houses: Narrow, leafy street is last chance for two Madrona homes waiting to be moved
- Grab the kids and hop on Amtrak for a stress-free getaway to Portland
- All You Can Eat | "Top Chef": Seattle chefs tapped for Bravo knife fight in Vegas!



