New York Gov. Paterson Says He Has No Plans to Resign

March 5, 2010— -- New York's embattled Gov. David Paterson declared today that he had no plans to resign and intends to finish out his term of office.

The governor's defiant statement came on the same day that a new poll found that less than half of New Yorkers believe he should remain in office.

In a show of toughing it out, Paterson also announced that he will hold a budget town hall meeting on Monday, a signal that he will not be quitting.

Nevertheless, his statement of determination to stay in office in the face of twin scandals left room for changes.

"Nobody knows what the future holds, but I have no plans other than to finish out my term," the governor said after taking part in the grand opening of a restaurant at John F. Kennedy Airport.

"To step down ... over untrue allegations would create new levels of vulnerability for government officials," he said. "That would be chaotic."

The fact that Paterson felt compelled to declare he's not resigning is an indication of how much pressure he is under to step down. It is also an indication of how quickly public support for him has crumbled.

A Quinnipiac University poll released today shows a dramatic drop in public support for Paterson. Fewer than half of New Yorkers, 46 percent, now say he should finish his term rather than resign, down from 61 percent earlier in the week.

"Support for Gov. David Paterson erodes with every new headline," Maurice Carrol, director of the Quinnipiac poll, told the Associated Press. "New York State voters started the week giving the governor the benefit of the doubt 2-1. Now, there is more doubt and less benefit."

Earlier in the day, the governor held an impromptu news conference as he left his Manhattan office and told reporters he intends to clear his name.

"At a certain point I will cooperate with the investigation and will be clearing my name," he said.

Paterson repeated that intent at the airport restaurant, saying, "I have every intention of answering all of these questions."

He blamed news stories for his falling poll numbers.

"I think people originally hearing about this thought the governor should be allowed to clear his name," he said. "But then there have been a number of more articles with unsourced information and innuendo, inaccurate information that when cobbled together over and over again certainly has an effect."

Paterson's staff plans got a what one aide described as a "pep talk" to regroup and focus on the state's budget crisis.