Kaine: Only Governor Paterson Can Resolve His Future

ABC News’ David Chalian Reports:  Time may be on Gov. David Paterson’s, D-NY, side. That was the message from Democratic National Committee Chairman Tim Kaine who appeared reluctant to add his voice to a list of Democrats calling for the embattled governor to step down from his office. “If he had, you know,  two years left in his term that would be one thing but he’s got less than a year left in his term in the midst of a legislative session, in the midst of a terribly difficult budgetary process with a lieutenant governor who is unknown to huge chunks of  the New York populous,” Kaine said on ABC News’ “Top Line.” The party chief went on to question whether replacing Paterson with his appointed Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch made the most sense with less than 10 months to go in his administration. “The question is even if folks are concerned about him, and I do respect the decision not to run again, do you want somebody who is unknown and possibly untried coming into the midst of this very difficult budget situation for what is admittedly a very short term window of trying to work with the legislature of trying to do New York’s public business? That is something that I think only Governor Paterson can resolve,” Kaine said. A new poll out today from Quinnipiac University shows rapidly diminishing support among New Yorkers for Paterson to stay in his job amid the drumbeat of scandal that continues to surround him. 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. Gov. Paterson has scheduled a public event for late Friday afternoon (which always raises the antennae for political reporters) with a decidedly odd backdrop.  He is expected to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Palm Restaurant & Bar at the international terminal at JFK Airport.  Despite the location of his one public event today, we don’t expect him to grab a drink and hop a plane as much as he may want to do so.