All Over Albany

Speed reading coverage of David Paterson

We're Spitzered out, so... on to the next guy! We've sifted through the growing mountain of David Paterson coverage to pick out the essential and the interesting. Among the details this time around: the unusual past of Paterson's top adviser, questions about conflicts of interest, lobbying by the Obama campaign, and hugs for Jimmy Tedisco.

+ Paterson's swearing-in ceremony Monday afternoon has been carefully choreographed to project an image of bipartisanship. And staffers are calling it a "swearing-in" -- as opposed to an "inauguration" -- in an attempt to dispel any notions that it's a celebration. [NYT]

+ Paterson is planning to keep many Spitzer staffers on the job, at least for the near future. [Bloomberg]

+ Paterson's chief-of-staff, Charles O'Byrne, will take over the role of top adviser to the governor. O'Byrne is a former Jesuit priest who married JFK Jr. and and Carolyn Bessette. (A safe-for-work reproduction of a piece by O'Byrne about leaving the priesthood that appeared in a not safe for work publication.) [Politico]

+ What will a Paterson administration mean for upstate? No one's real sure right now, though Paterson did say recently that reviving the upstate economy was his first priority. [Daily Gazette]

+ Paterson's legislative record is now coming under greater scrutiny and there are questions about whether he gave undue help to a hospital that employed his wife. [NYT]

+ Rumor: Paterson's annoyed that so many people are claiming access and influence over him. [NYP]

+ Paterson says his favorite NY governor is Hugh Carey, because "I thought he was very open, he made himself accessible, and he was very creative" [AP]

+ Of his blindness, Paterson has said: "My truest disability has been my ability to overcome my physical disability. So in other words, as soon as people see that I can be independent, then they hold me to the standard that everyone else is. ... And I think that's been my greatest disability, that as I've overcome my physical disability, it just leads to other problems. So I think I have now learned -- and I'm not doing this to be deceptive -- but I don't act the way I did when I was 17, like I can do everything myself, because I realized the minute I do that, no one helps me. So I learned to be a little more pragmatic about life." [NYT]

+ Paterson will give his swearing-in speech from memory. [NYDN]

+ Advocates say Paterson will be an inspiration to many in the blind community. [NYT]

+ Despite many reports, Paterson won't be the first blind governor in US history. Bob Cowley Riley, who was governor of Arkansas for 11 days in in 1975 was actually the first. [NYT]

+ Barack Obama called to congratulate Paterson on his ascent to the governorship -- even though Paterson is super delegate for Hillary Clinton (who's also called him). And he says he's not switching, though Obama people apparently have been lobbying him to switch. [AP] [NYT]

+ Jim Tedisco, after meeting with Paterson on Friday, "I just got three hugs, which is three more than I got from the last governor, or any governor." [NYT]

+ Paterson says there's a chance he'll run for re-election in 2010. [AP/Newsday]

+ Paterson's name has already replaced Spitzer on some signage -- and a new sign by the capitol has already been tagged with graffiti. [TU]

Our earlier speed reading of Eliot Spitzer coverage.

photo: ny.gov