The article that I have taken a sabbatical reading discusses how Democratic Party leaders are calling him to resign. I think that that is the absolute worst idea ever to do.
Let's rewind to when Patterson took office following Gov. Spitzer's escapades. Patterson, in his first week as Governor, admitted his own extramarital affairs. The press was buzzing about it for months.
It was more than obvious that the suspected turn of events in early 2008 was that Hillary would become President and Spitzer would appoint Patterson to fill out her seat. Well, we all know how well that went.
After Patterson chose Kirsten Gillibrand to fill Clinton's seat, everyone asked why. I knew exactly why: he was going to run for that seat. If Patterson's approval numbers hadn't fallen so low, he could have easily beaten her in the primary. Why didn't he just appoint himself? You ask. Remember the turmoil I mentioned 2 paragraphs ago? That's why. New York would have to have a special election for a Governor and Lieutenant Governor to fill out the term. How much disarray you bet the state would be in then?
Fast forward to last June with New York's State "Senate." Remember the uproar when Gov. Patterson appointed Richard Ravitch as Lieutenant Governor?
Now, consider Patterson Resigning. Ravitch (as today's New York Times put it, "the last honest man left in Albany") would become Governor. I will bet anyone that if he became Governor, every good government group would complain since the public never voted for him and he was never approved by the people's designated representatives. Albany would be more dysfunctional than anything we have ever seen. At the bare minimum, there would be another constitutional question the state Court of Appeals would have to address.
For, at a minimum, the state of New York's sake, Governor Patterson must not resign and must continue his term of service for the next year.
Seamus Campbell
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