ALBANY—There is certainly speculation, but nothing close to confirmation, that David Paterson will name a lieutenant governor this evening during an address that will be televised statewide.
The governor's office acknowledged that he will deliver a live, televised address "on the Current Senate Stalemate and its Impact on all New Yorkers" this evening at 5:01.
Several sources have discounted today's juiciest topic of conversation around the Capitol, saying Paterson will just use the time to continue his bashing of state senators on a wider platform. But I've heard from one person in conversations with the second floor that it is being considered.
(Paterson's spokesman Peter Kauffmann declined to comment.)
If so, it happened quickly. The idea first came to Paterson's public attention on Monday when it was floated by Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, but it has been on the desk of Paterson's lawyers for several weeks. The public airing, however, prompted an immediate rebuke from Andrew Cuomo, who said it was "not constitutional."
"Doing this means going to war with Andrew," an elected Democrat said. "He's got to know that."
Which would mean it's a war, or at least a public-relations skirmish, Paterson thinks he can win; he continues to be the executive pushing to resolve the State Senate stalemate, while Cuomo appears as an obstructionist.
This prompts the secondary question of who Paterson would name. The two obvious names that are often repeated are Tom Suozzi, the Nassau County executive who ran a long-shot campaign for governor in 2006, and Denise O'Donnell, Paterson's top adviser for criminal justice.
Suozzi has been mentioned as a potential statewide candidate for 2010, and has been at Paterson's right hand as he positions himself as a savior of property taxpayers. But nominating him is problematic because of local political concerns in Nassau County, where he has announced a run for re-election and has already started the petition process.
UPDATE: I just got off the phone with a source familiar with the administration's thinking.
"He's definitely going to announce it tonight," the source said. "I wouldn't have called you if I weren't absolutely sure."
The source was not sure who Paterson would designate.
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