Paterson takes aim at Cuomo's silence
Published: February 04, 2010, 9:31 am
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In a stinging rebuke of his shadow political opponent, Gov. David Paterson lashed out this morning at Andrew Cuomo for employing a "Rose Garden" strategy that is allowing the attorney general to be all things to all people without having to take tough — and politically dangerous — positions.
"If somebody thinks they can do it better and thinks they're going to win an election by just silently hiding until the last minute and jumping in, believe me when they jump in, they will be in a fight," Paterson vowed in a not-so-subtle challenge to Cuomo to end his gubernatorial campaign flirtation and commence a primary run against the governor.
"I'm battle-tested, and I don't know anyone else who wants to run is," Paterson said on WOR radio in New York City this morning.
Paterson said Cuomo's silence campaign has allowed him to avoid tough questions about looming policy matters, such as the condition of the state budget and how best to cut the deficit.
He said Cuomo has, however, come out against bonuses for Wall Street executives. Paterson said those bonuses are a huge source of income for the state budget in terms of tax revenues that are now being heavily slashed by Wall Street firms that are giving out bonuses in stock rather than cash.
Paterson dismissed a question about the motivation of the media in the gubernatorial story. But he did urge reporters to ask more questions of Cuomo.
"He doesn't have an opinion," Paterson said of Cuomo on several issues. "So, in other words, you can go to the unions and tell them, "I'm with you,' and you can go to the businesses and tell them "I'm with you.'"
The governor also mocked Cuomo's high poll standings.
"Could you please tell me the last attorney general who had bad poll numbers?" he said. "Attorneys general are in the media when they are arresting people, and we're all for arresting criminals. I'm just saying at this point he's said nothing, and that is the Rose Garden strategy."
But the governor said life is going to change for Cuomo once he announces. Having to answer questions, he said, will end up alienating some groups now supportive of Cuomo.
"The minute he steps in the water, the media will ask the same questions that they ask me. He will have to answer, and then all those who thought he was going to support their opinion — which is 100 percent of the people — are going to find out there's no way he can avoid winding up in the same circumstances I'm in, because we're in a bad recession and there are tough decisions that have to be made," the governor said.
"If he gets into this fray, he will find out the same thing. Why do you think he's staying out?" he added.
In a final poke at his image, Paterson said of Cuomo, "All I'm saying, is this the openness and transparency? Is this the good government? Is this the progressive kind of leadership that we've been waiting for? Someone who is so afraid of any kind of controversy that they are going to — jump in, win the primary, win the general election and then the public will only find out what [Cuomo] thinks a year from now?"
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