Blagojevich better than Paterson? Really?

Thanks to Rob Madeo for pointing out an issue that both the New York Post and New York Times heartily agree on -- that NY governor David Paterson is now officially Worse than Blagojevich after the media circus that surrounded his naming a replacement for the Senate seat left vacant by Hillary Clinton.

Deliciously, for those of us who find this comparison absurd, both these opinion pieces came out just a couple of hours before Team Paterson leaked that Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand would have the seat. Which means that most people will have heard that news before reading these words in the Post piece: "Illinois has a new senator and New York has an endless reality-show melodrama."

And most Times readers will have absorbed a few words about the feisty, ambitious female pol who doesn't have a dynasty surname before reading Clyde Haberman's whine: "What began as a high-minded endeavor has degenerated into farce. Instead of enhancing his image as he approaches the end of his first year in office, the governor looks diminished."

Actually, the New York news media doesn't exactly look high-minded after this so-called "farce." The media there seem to have gotten their undies in a bunch over actions the governor and his aides took to keep everyone guessing about whether he would appoint Caroline Kennedy or Andrew Cuomo to the seat. Disinformation seems to have played a part, as one Paterson aide seemingly would tell a news outlet (or a Kennedy) that Kennedy was all but going to be offered the job, only to have another Paterson aide (or the same one) deny it a few hours later.

And now both the Times and the Post are comparing unfavorably their governor to the one in Illinois? Are they kidding? They must be kidding. Tell me they're kidding.

Most observers, in hindsight, will conclude that however he played the game with the public, the governor delivered a great outcome. Maybe not the best pick for New York progressives, but a blow against dynasties and a boost for the gender that enjoys a majority in exactly one major legislative body in the nation and still only accounts for 16 percent (soon 17 percent) of U.S. Senators.

It would likely not have happened without some serious stalling. Kennedy needed time to grapple with the elements, because they will come back tenfold in next year's special election campaign. Unfortunately, she faltered, wilting under the most basic of questioning. Meanwhile, Gillibrand's name was given time to rise to the top of the list, to the point where it would seem positively unjust for Paterson to name a male to take Clinton's place when there was a perfectly well qualified female replacement.

Both opinion writers pointed out that Gov. Blagojevich was much more decisive than Paterson when it came to naming a replacement to the Senate seat. Hello, the man's getting impeached! The only thing Blago wants to play the stalling game with is his departure date from Springfield -- preferably so it doesn't involve a one-way ticket to the state pen.

As for Blago's pick of Roland Burris, while tactically it was brilliant -- it threw his opposition off guard and Burris did the rest -- the new senator has still not satisfactorily answered the question raised by Carol Felsenthal and others: Did he arrange for a job for the governor's wife at about the time he expressed interest in Barack Obama's seat should he be elected president?

Earlier this week, Patti Blagojevich was fired from that position, but that's not going to stop the questions about the role Burris played in her getting it in the first place -- questions that were swept under the rug in the great rush to get him named Obama's successor.

I agree with Danny Davis that Burris is that rare African-American politician who can campaign statewide. But how many people would have said that about Obama until he actually won his Senate seat? I'm still not convinced Burris can win a special election in 2010. If he can't make this Blago connection go away, he won't win.

Maybe our New York friends could revisit this comparison of governors two years from now. Or two weeks from now.

Comments

[Aaron Barnhart]

David Kleeman writes...

"Wow...As an Illinoisan, I'd rank our Governor's appeal just slightly lower than a case of stomach flu. At least the flu knows when to go away.

"Even just limiting the comparison to the choice of a replacement Senator, Blago promised not to name one and then backed the Democratic party into a corner by doing so. As usual, he put his own ego in front of the people's interests."

[Del Coro]

"I agree with Danny Davis that Burris is that rare African-American politician who can campaign statewide."

Hasn't Burris lost every statewide election he's been in?

[He was elected comptroller -- three times -- and then attorney general. So he's actually won more statewide races than lost. --AB]

[David Owen]

I have connected my 2 TV converter boxes -- in two different houses and different antennas (being in the country, I have to use outside rooftop antennas) but several channels are lost and some that were strong before now breakup after a few minutes. Do you know what's happening here? Many thanks for any info you can give me.