The Paterson Shtick

Here’s the first eight minutes of now-Governor David Paterson’s swearing-in ceremony, as broadcast by CNN. This clip doesn’t show the climax of the speech, where he reintroduced himself and said, “I am Governor of New York!” but it gives a sense of the new governor’s tone.

As he cites being shot with a water gun by Andrew Cuomo a few years ago, does an impression of Sheldon Silver, and calls Tom DiNapoli “a moderately popular controller,” the relief in the Assembly chamber seems palpable. Paterson recycles a joke about bringing his “tasters” to a meal with Joe Bruno, and by way of mentioning him, describes a long and minimally caustic history between himself and the political enemy of Eliot Spitzer.

He said finally, "We move forward. Today is Monday. There is work to be done. There was an oath to be taken. There's trust that needs to be restored. There are issues that need to be addressed."