Paterson Defends the Appointment System, Dismisses a Poll

ALBANY—Despite saying two weeks ago that he wasn't "100 percent sure" he should be appointing a U.S. senator, David Paterson brushed aside calls he hold a special election to fill the seat being vacated by Hillary Clinton.

"This is actually, I think, a good system," Paterson said. A special election "would add on months to the process, in which New York would have only one senator" losing out on seniority and choice committee assignments.

Paterson then repeated the statistics about the number of senate appointees who have lost their first re-election bid.

"In a special election, there is a clear advantage to the candidate with the most money," Paterson said.

He was also asked about a poll released today, which found Attorney General Andrew Cuomo still the leading choice for Senate of voters surveyed, but Caroline Kennedy the most widely expected choice.

Paterson alone makes the decision, and derided the polls as "name recognition polls" and "popularity contests."

The governor has been criticized for being opaque in his vetting process. He declined to say whether or not he has met with Cuomo, as was reported today, citing "attorney-client privilege."