Obama Camp Asked Paterson to Speak on Disability, Not Economy

DENVER—Governor Paterson told reporters after a New Jersey delegation breakfast this morning that the Obama campaign requested he focus his convention speech on disabilities, although the governor had hoped to speak on the economy.

"They asked me to address the issue of disability, and at first, I wanted to talk about the economy," he said, responding to a question about his speech last night. "But then, when I was walking around last night, people who had been at both days of the convention said, 'You're the only one who touched the subject.'

"So in the end," he went on, "as is usually the case, the Obama people were right."

His speech ended up sort of a hybrid between the two issues. An example: "Four hundred sixty three thousand people have lost their jobs this year alone," he said "The inflation rate is at a 17-year high. And the gap between employment rate among people with disabilities and the general population continues to rise. Only 37 percent of disabled people in this country are working."