Gov. David Paterson Has Screwed Up Imus's Plans

St. Patrick’s Day has special meaning for David Paterson: two years ago today, he was sworn in as Governor of New York. Though he’s now facing allegations he intervened in a domestic dispute involving one of his aides and that he did not pay for Yankees World Series tickets, Paterson’s recent troubles are, somehow, all about Imus.

Following an extended courting process, Paterson first appeared with Imus back in January. “I thought, man, how great is this, cause I’ll be tight with the Governor of New York! Think of all the access, and think of the stuff I could get done,” Imus said.

He paused. “Man, have you made a mess of that,” he told Paterson.

Laughing, Paterson, who recently quit his election bid to address “a number of issues,” told Imus his priority was to try to keep the state in fiscal order. As for whether he’ll change his mind and decide to run should his name be cleared, Paterson insisted he hasn’t thought about it. “But thanks for asking!” he said cheerily.

Paterson did not respond directly to Imus’s question of whether he provided an ethics committee with e-mails proving the Yankees tickets were offered to him. He told Imus, “You’re pretty much analyzing it correctly,” and that he was on the right track.

The Imus train then derailed, however, when he askedt his next question” “You’re blind, right? Why would you want to go to the baseball game in the first place?”

Paterson good-naturedly admitted he normally attends events like the World Series not for the entertainment value, but because he feels a responsibility as a civic leader. “It’s a big night culturally for America, the first game of the national pastime,” he said.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, whom Paterson appointed last year, quickly came out against the Governor when it was revealed he might have interfered in his aide’s domestic issues. Asked what that was about, Paterson paused.

“That’s about whenever you get in a jam, there are people who will throw you under a bus,” he told Imus, who certainly knows how that works. “They just don’t expect you to get out from under the bus. And when you do, they should be forewarned.”

So, has he spoken to Gillibrand since she called for his resignation? “It’s hard to talk to anyone when you’re under the bus,” Paterson explained.

He believes Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the likely Democratic candidate for Governor, did the right thing in assigning a special prosecutor to investigate the incident, instead of doing so himself. Paterson opted not to comment on the facts of the situation, but emphasized to Imus his commitment over 25 years to combating domestic violence.

“I would never, nor did I ever, try to persuade anyone not to take the natural course of the law that would protect them,” he said.

Then, because he can’t help himself, Imus wondered whether Paterson would announce his re-entry to the Governor’s race once this issue is squared away.

“As soon as it’s resolved, I’ll be right back down here,” he promised, then gestured to the crowd. “We’ll invite everybody back.”

-Julie Kanfer