Albany Times Union

In a radio interview this evening, Gov. David Paterson said he expects to know the number of state employees who will be laid off next week.

“I don’t know the number, I probably will know next week. We’ve got to get started. I don’t want to set this up for January 1…I want to start it before the beginning of next year,” Paterson said on WSYR. “I think it’s my repsonsibility to move forward.”

Paterson’s budget director Bob Megna said last week that planning for layoffs must begin next month; the governor confirmed that point this week. Jim Reith, the host, asked Paterson if he was talking about hundreds or thousands of layoffs.

“I think it would be at least 1,000. And let me tell you, Jim, I feel very badly for the people being laid off,” the governor said. He then blamed public employee unions for rejecting his proposals to lag pay, take furloughs or forgo a scheduled pay increase as forcing him to do layoffs. Paterson suggested union leaders did this because laid-off workers no longer vote in union elections, but workers who have been furloughed do.

“The unions would yell and scream, but this is the most preferred reaction that they have,” Paterson said.

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday.

Gov. David Paterson was on the radio in Syracuse this evening expressing optimism that legislative leaders — who met with him this afternoon — will reach an accord on the final pieces of the state budget by Tuesday.

“When they come back I would expect at that point that they and the Assembly can agree on a revenue bill which will get us out of here,” the governor said on WSYR. “I’ve had them in twice and I hope that they’re in a road to agreeing with each other…I would hope they’re on track now.”

“I decided I’d had enough of this avoidant behavior, and made them come back to force them to address these situations. It’s something psychological about making tough decisions. Somebody has to basically — well, I can’t say that on the radio — someone has to basically nudge them along,” he said. “I hope they come back with an agreement on Tuesday, because if not, they may find that Albany is the new August tourist attraction.”

Somewhere, a city father in Saratoga Springs is crying. Paterson earlier this morning threatened to take legislators to court, if necessary, to get them to honor his special session proclamations.

The budget gap is about $1 billion, Paterson said. He said he believed there was minimal momentum to override his cuts to education because school districts “have already adjusted to” his education cuts. This has, in some cases, resulted in teacher layoffs.

He also said that a contingency fund to deal with the possible deferment of federal Medicaid money remains critically important.

Carl Paladino, the Buffalo developer hoping to win a Republican gubernatorial primary, is doubling down his opposition to a mosque in Lower Manhattan, saying it’s an “affront to the American people” and “it’s about the Islamists wanting to illustrate that they have conquered America by taking down the World Trade Center.”

In an interview last night with NY1 (partially obscured by Paladino’s statement that he will not run for governor on just a third-party line) and speaking this morning with Susan Arbetter on The Capitol Pressroom, Paladino equated those building or using the proposed Cordoba Mosque with Muslim terrorists who attacked the United States on September 11 and are waging war on American troops abroad.

“The governor doesn’t really have a clue what this issue is about,” Paladino told Arbetter. “It’s not about religion, it’s not about the First Amendment. It’s about ideology. It’s about the Islamists wanting to illustrate that they have conquered America by taking down the World Trade Center. It’s a claim of triumph.”

“I will fight and use any means. Right now, the means that I’m suggesting is to do an eminent domain easement over the entire area,” he continued. “I will protect the American people from such an arrogant intrusion.”

Lawyers for Gov. David Paterson and other land use scholars have said it would be difficult if not impossible to condemn the land for this reason, without excluding any other religious uses in the district covered by dust. That would include Trinity Church, the oldest Christian congregation in Manhattan, which dates to the days of the Dutch colonists.

The mosque project did not require approval by local land-use regulators. In May, the local community board passed a resolution supporting the project, focusing on the community center attached to the mosque. The site had been on the calendar of the Landmarks Preservation Commission since 1989, and with development beckoning, a hearing was granted. The Community Board voted against landmarking the site; the LPC will make a final determination in August. Bloomberg called attacks on the Cordoba Mosque “un-American” and it’s expected that the LPC — the majority of which is appointed by the mayor — will approve the project. Buttressing that point is the fact that the mosque has been in the community for 23 years, located 10 blocks away from the World Trade Center on West Broadway.

Paladino belittled his critics.

“These guys have a focus on totally different things. Andrew Cuomo figured it was a political issue and he made it a point to point out, oh, this is freedom of religion. Oh, I’m going to appeal to the religious. Well, he’s trying to point out that he’s a supporter of the Constitution. Well, this is not a constitutional issue,” Paladino told Arbetter. “It’s not a freedom of religion issue. It’s an affront to the American people, and the American people expect their elected representatives to go out and protect them from these things. And Mr. Bloomberg, I don’t know what planet he’s from, okay?  but he has no business taking a position on behalf of the people of New York City and especially the families of those that died in that building. He has no business taking a position like he’s taken, and they’re going to have to suffer the consequences of it, because I’m telling you, the American people will not accept this.”

According to a transcript, on NY1, Paladino was asked by Elizabeth Kaledin about his opposition to the mosque.

Q: You’re saying the siting of the mosque is being evidence of plans of conquest.

A: Not plans of conquest, that act of those Jihadists.

Q: These people are unrelated to the terrorists?

A: How are they unrelated? They telling us they’re related.

Q: There are millions of Muslims in the world.

A: There are millions of them, but these people who are advocating this mosque, we don’t know who they are, do we.

Q: Should we not find out? Calmer minds have prevailed and said let’s find out the trail of the money.

A: Calmer minds would say build your mosque anywhere else, don’t build it in the footprint of the dust storm following 9/11. That dust contains the remains of many, many people. It’s not 600 feet away. It is part of the area that the dust covered. OK? That’s a very solemn place for the American people. I met this afternoon with a mother of a fireman who died there. It’s a terrible feeling she has. Did you know they’re going to put on a wall in this whatever they’re building, they’re going to put on the wall the faces of the men who flew those aircraft into that building. They’re going to put their faces on the wall. Why are we memorializing those men?

Q: We’re off the topic, here, of the mosque. I want to be clear — your opposition to the mosque is bigger than an issue of sensitivity.

A: It absolutely is.

Q: You sound like you’re opposed to, you know, sort of the growth of an Islamic or Muslim practice of religion in Lower Manhattan.

A: Not the practice of religion. The growth of a Muslim, Islamic idea of conquering the world. Okay. They have said it. They have said the world will eventually come under their rule rule. And this was a part of it. The attack on the World Trade Center was a part of it. This is no different than putting up a symbol to Hirohito next to Hickam Field in Pearl Harbor.

Q: Do you think that is a positive message to express to young New Yorkers, especially young New Yorkers?

A: Absolutely.

Q: That we should be looking over our shoulders thinking that Muslims are trying to take over.

A: We better start.

Q: You want to teach that to our children?

A: Yes, because that’s the real world out there, and that’s what our troops are fighting for and dying for in those two wars.

NOTE: The current transcript is updated slightly from an earlier version of the post, which was based off of a rough transcript. I later got the recording and tweaked the post to be in agreement with the audio. There were no major changes — just some misplaced this-that and some verb tenses. The above version, now, is correct.

(Rick Karlin/Times Union)

Lawmakers will be back on Tuesday, Gov. Paterson’s spokesman Morgan Hook just said, and they aren’t being dragged back by an extraordinary session proclamation by the governor.

Job One, Paterson hopes, will be to finish the revenue portion of the 2010-11 budget.

Hook noted that the Assembly has already passed a revenue bill.

If the Senate were to pass that bill, Hook said, the budget would be completed, but not necessarily in balance, since they still need to plan for the probable loss of more than $1 billion in federal Medicaid funds.

And the trouble is that the Senate’s Buffalo contingent is holding back their support for a revenue plan without a program in which SUNY campuses can charge some sort of variable tuition — an idea that is strongly resisted in the Assembly and by some in the Senate.

As to word that Senate Democratic leader John Sampson and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver had reached a “conceptual framework”  for SUNY, Hook said the governor would need to see more details.

The bottom line here may be that, if they can get past the SUNY issue, the revenue bill might actually pass next week, meaning that the governor and lawmakers would deal with their other outstanding issues, including a property tax cap and Medicaid shortfall contingency separately.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers, frustrated by today and yesterday’s abbreviated sessions in which nothing was done, are wondering if the Medicaid issue doesn’t get resolved until much later — such as after the November elections.

“They’ll kick that can until after the elections,”  predicted Syracuse Sen. John DeFrancisco, a Republican, who was referring to the Democratic majority. After that, he believes, Democrats might seize on the Medicaid shortfall as an excuse to raise taxes.

Cortés-Vázquez, who was confirmed in March 2007, is leaving to take a position as Executive Vice President at AARP in Washington, D.C. Here’s the release from the governor’s office

“Secretary Cortés-Vázquez has been with my Administration from the beginning, leading the Department of State with skill and distinction,” Governor Paterson said. “As Secretary of State, Lorraine has been able to take the important roles of the Department of State – from real estate licensing to business incorporation to local government services – and combine them under the banner of better and more efficient service for the people of the State. She has balanced the often competing interests of economic development and environmental protection with thoughtfulness and dexterity. AARP will be lucky to have her, and we look forward to her work on behalf of older persons in New York and throughout the country.”

Secretary Cortés-Vázquez said: “I would like to thank Governor Paterson for the opportunity to serve the people of New York. I am proud of the work we’ve done together in bringing about fiscal responsibility, creating healthier communities, supporting sustainable development and promoting diversity in all aspects of State government. It has been both rewarding and inspiring to travel all across this State and partner with local elected officials, non-profits, business owners and community leaders all working to build a better New York. Our State is going through challenging times, but thanks to efforts of this Administration and our partners in and out of government, I believe we have built the foundation for a strong recovery in the years ahead.”

Under the leadership of Secretary Cortés-Vázquez, the Department of State has invested nearly $130 million in 622 projects across the State to lower the cost of government services, saving taxpayer money; worked to improve the business climate in New York; regulated critical industries, such as security and real estate; oversaw safety initiatives, such as fire prevention and training; revitalized waterfronts and downtowns to promote smart growth; supported communities as they worked to eliminate poverty and create job opportunities for their residents; and lowered barriers of entry for those individuals historically underrepresented in government and the private sector.

She’ll serve through August.

The Chapter 45 early retirement program for NYSUT-represented teachers has been upheld in trial court but the administrators who also want in  on this pension sweetener are appealing it.

You may recall that an administrators union sued, contending that they were unfairly excluded from the retirement option available to unionized teachers.

Here is the court decision:

Chapter 45

A state Supreme Court Justice has granted the state Lottery Division’s request for dismissal of the lawsuit brought by Aqueduct Entertainment Company (formerly Aqueduct Entertainment Group), which claimed it was wrongfully bounced after briefly winning the right to develop a video lottery terminal facility next to the Aqueduct Race Course in Queens.

AEC attorney Daryl Davis said it was “very likely” AEC would appeal Judge Barry Kramer’s decision to the Appellate Division in Albany. Davis called Kramer’s decision “absolutely ridiculous,” and charged that it was based on inaccurate statements by the Lottery Division.

A reader sent along this photo, which was is a screen shot from this morning when she tried to watch the Assembly’s live session online. (The session didn’t last….very long.)

Instead of suited men and women in their chairs doing a quick bang-bang of the gavel, they saw “Annabelle the Sheep.”

Yup. Sheep.

Dan Weiller, a spokesman for the Democrats who control the Assembly said that the picture was completely accidental, and the result of a glitch.

“This is a Real Player issue, not an Assembly video issue,” he said. The Assembly’s website requires viewers to download a file allowing Real Player to display the feed. A glitch prevented that, and Weiller said according to technical staffers, Real Player defaulted a random skin. Of Annabelle.

“There was nothing other than the other session you would see on the video feed, that was sent to the legislative channel,” Weiller emphasized.

Annabelle could not be reached for comment. It’s unclear if she was jumping or being counted.

Gov. David Paterson, SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher and a group of predominantly African-American legislators met in on the second floor this morning to discuss the disagreement over a new tuition plan for SUNY and CUNY campuses — the issue that’s currently holding up Senate passage of the revenue bill that would complete the state budget and allow legislators to be paid.

What’s now clear is that the roadblock to the revenue bill being manned by Sens. Bill Stachowski and Antoine Thompson (SUNY Buffalo advocates) and Brian Foley (SUNY Stony Brook) has produced an even more obdurate bloc of opponents to the SUNY-CUNY plan, which among other changes would grant greater autonomy to component campuses to set their own tuition.

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow said that aspect of the plan would create a “two-tiered system” that would inevitably lead to greater disparities in educational offerings. Pretlow said that even if the tuition plan was done as a pilot program, the institutions would become too dependent on the additional funds. He’d like to see the whole question removed from the budget debate (good luck with that).

Pretlow said that even if the tuition assistance program was beefed up to offset the rise in tuition, middle-class students would still feel the pinch.

Assemblyman Keith Wright, whose son is in his senior year at SUNY Albany, called it “a good meeting to have — we probably should have had it a little while ago.”

Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson — see video below — said that her preference would be to crack the SUNY-CUNY bill into three component parts for consideration. She acknowledged that a “standoff” existed in the chamber over the issue.

“These are issues that are going to affect … the ability of children of color to be educated in this state going forward,” Hassell-Thompson said, “and we want to be sure that we’re satisfied that we’re not trying to privatize our institution in our attempt to build them and make them No. 1 in the country.”

Hassell-Thompson suggested the idea of a pilot program for certain campuses would be a non-starter. “Which one of the legislators would do you think would allow their school to become a pilot (institution) and the others not?,” she said.

Hassell-Thompson summed up the basic problem: “This is the future of public education in the state of New York, and that’s a very serious subject. While I agree with those legislators who have colleges and campuses in their district, that they want them to be glorified — I’m very happy for them. But that’s not the objective of public education in the state of New York.”

Emerging, Zimpher was all smiles, and said the meeting was a “great exchange I think people had the opportunity to say what was bugging them and what their opinions were. … I was really pleased.”

“This is probably the most comprehensive legislation since (Gov. Nelson) Rockefeller created SUNY, and I’m confident that we can find a way to meet together to negotiate to compromise and to get some parts — I don’t know yet, it may be still to early to predict. But I think people understand that in this economic time when the state has had a challenge funding all the things that it likes to do … that this is an opportunity for SUNY to generate the revenues we need to provide access — which is what we talked about a lot — and ensure graduation.”

Sen. Kevin Parker left the meeting midway through, and told reporters that he found Zimpher’s tone to be disrespectful. Wright disagreed with that assessment.

Republican leaders of the Senate and Assembly — which have skipped down for the day — attacked this special session this year as a “total waste of taxpayer dollars” and a “complete farce.” Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, said Gov. David Paterson “should reimburse taxpayers for this wasted $100,000 and stop this empty political posturing.”

Paterson has argued in radio interviews that the cost of special session is a pittance compared to the money New York is forgoing by not having a complete budget.

Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos, R-Long Island, added that he would have voted for some of the measures Paterson included on his special session agenda. Said Skelos

The special session was a complete and total waste of taxpayer
dollars, but it didn’t have to be that way. The Democrats that control the
agenda in the Senate and Assembly missed an opportunity to complete some
important unfinished business.

Senate Republicans would have unanimously voted in favor of several
of the Governor’s bills that he sent up for consideration at the special
session, but were not taken up by either house.

We would have supported the property tax cap bill, the Power for Jobs
extension, the bill to eliminate the state sales tax on low-sulfur heating
fuel and the proposed budget contingency plan should the state not receive
$1 billion in federal Medicaid (FMAP) assistance.

Senate Republicans continue to stand firm that we will not vote for
any increase in taxes and fees. However, we would have supported these
measures, had they been brought to the floor for a vote, because they are
vital to lowering property taxes, balancing the budget and helping
businesses create jobs. Unfortunately, the Senate and Assembly Democrats
chose to accomplish absolutely nothing other than waste more taxpayer
money.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand took a pretty strong stance on Gov. David Paterson’s troubles this past February, saying that man who appointed her needed to step down “if the allegations are true.”

From NY1, which got Gillibrand on tape:

Speaking with NY1 political reporter Michael Scotto on “Inside City Hall,” the senator says that while it’s too early for Paterson to resign, the governor will need to step aside if he did indeed order aides to intervene in a domestic abuse case.

“The allegations are very, very serious,” she said. “Attorney General [Andrew] Cuomo is going to run a thorough investigation. I expect everyone in the administration to cooperate fully with that investigation. But if at the end of the day, if all of the allegations of the abuse of power are true, then the governor will be unable to govern and he will have to step down.”

A report released yesterday by Judge Judith Kaye concluded that Paterson did not break any laws by contacting Sherr-Una Booker but made “errors of judgment” in doing so. The report also stipulated that Paterson did direct his press secretary at the time, Marissa Shorenstein, to draft a statement for Ms. Booker, hoping to minimize political damage to his administration.

Reading Gillibrand’s quote, I’m not sure where she sets the standard. So yesterday, I called her spokesman Glen Caplin to ask. He never called back, and didn’t return a follow-up e-mail I sent later in the afternoon about Gillibrand’s thoughts on Paterson in light of the report.

Hemorrhaging cash and watching as Carl Paladino rises in the polls, Rick Lazio has replaced his campaign manager Kevin Fullington and brought in Matt Walter, currently an adviser to the Republican State Committee, to head the effort. (H/T Haberman)

Fullington was earning $21,000 a month in his position; the Lazio campaign is also spending around $20,000 a month to retain strategist Arthur Finkelstein.

Lazio’s spin on the changes: “The energy all of this talent brings to our campaign to fix Albany is not only gratifying to me, but should put Andrew Cuomo and the Albany crowd on notice that their days are numbered.  I cannot thank Kevin Fullington enough for a successful convention and his long hours and hard work to ready this campaign for the final push.  I will continue to seek his counsel as part of our Executive Committee.”

Lazio has created an “executive committee” composed of people already working for the campaign to steer the campaign. Liz Benjamin wrote last night that Fullington’s departure is indicative of a rift in Lazio land. I’ve heard from several sources that there was also a push factor on the part of Walter, who served as executive director for the GOP under former State Chairman Joe Mondello and was kept on when Tom Basile became executive director. Several people have grumbled about Basile’s tenure, and Walter was apparently looking for an out. Another departure from 315 State might be imminent as well, I’ve heard from several sources.

Spin from GOP Chairman Ed Cox, who backed a Democrat as his party’s gubernatorial candidate over Lazio: “Rick and I agree that Matt will be a great Campaign Manager. I can attest to Matt’s considerable attributes. We were successful last year and we will win this year due, in part, to the capabilities and programs Matt has helped bring to the State Party.”

UPDATE: A state committee staffer sent along this statement in response to what my sources said.

“The Chairman and Tom Basile have worked hard to fulfill a commitment to rebuild our State Committee staff making the organization more effective. As a result of the talented folks brought into the State Party over the past several months, we are surging ahead with presenting a bold vision to all New Yorkers of a Republican-led government that fosters job creation and tax relief. All of us at State Committee are committed to serving our party, dedicated to executing Chairman Cox’s vision and spreading our candidates’ message through November. This will include further augmenting our staff resources in the near future to provide optimal support at this critical time.”

The full Lazio executive committee, with bios, is below. It was announced in an e-mail titled “Lazio Equipped To Sprint to the Finish.”

Matt Walter (Campaign Manager): Since 2007, Walter has served as a senior staff member at New York’s Republican State Committee, and his valuable contributions to the Party have been felt across New York State. His extensive experience in political operations includes virtually all aspects of a modern, effective campaign management, including fundraising, communications and media relations, voter outreach, grassroots organizing, political strategy, legal compliance, volunteer coordination and staff training.

Kevin Fullington: A veteran of the Bloomberg Administration, New York City Council, and New York State Attorney General’s Office, Kevin has experience in campaigns on all levels of government.  He is a graduate of the New York City public schools system and a practicing attorney at Herrick Feinstein LLP – a Manhattan law firm.

Charles E. Kilbourne (Chair of the Executive Committee): Charles E. Kilbourne has a long history in government and politics.  He served for six years in various capacities in Governor George Pataki’s Administration. He has been a key part of numerous statewide and local campaigns.  Mr. Kilbourne is a Managing Director and the Secretary of the Corporation of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps.  Previously, he was a Vice President of the Financial Services Forum.  He received his Bachelor’s degree with honors from Tufts University and his Master’s degree from Georgetown University.

Beth Myers: Beth Myers has a long history of involvement in public issues and campaigns. Most recently, she was Campaign Manager for Mitt Romney’s presidential race and before that served as his Chief of Staff through all four years of the Romney governorship. She previously worked as a litigation associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP. Starting on the 1980 Reagan campaign, Myers has worked for a slew of candidates.  Myers graduated from Tufts University and received a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University School of Law.

Anthony Scaramucci (Managing Partner, SkyBridge Capital, New York):  Anthony Scaramucci is the Founder and Managing Partner of SkyBridge Capital, which is a fund of funds and hedge fund incubation company. Mr. Scaramucci earned a BA in Economics, summa cum laude from Tufts University in 1986.  He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa society.  He graduated with a JD from Harvard Law School in 1989.  He is a Board Member of The Lymphoma Foundation, and The Brain Tumor Foundation

This announcement comes on top of other recent additions to the Lazio campaign:

David James – Director of Communications:  A Washington DC veteran of media relations; James most recently served as Assistant Secretary of Labor.  He worked at the Republican National Committee under the leadership of Ed Gillespie during the 2003-2004 Presidential election cycles.  James is also the veteran of three other U.S. Senate races and was the Executive Director of the campaign to retake the Missouri House in 2002.  James spent six years as a press operative on Capitol Hill as well.

Lynn Krogh – Political Director:  Krogh is a veteran of George Pataki’s 2002 gubernatorial campaign and is the current chair of the New York State Young Republicans and also is a principal in the firm of Gotham Management Group.  After the Pataki administration, Krogh worked for Daniel Libeskind, the architect who designed the master plan for the World Trade Center site

Harry Wilson, the former hedge fund manager running against Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, has released two 15-second television advertisements. This puts him up on the air before DiNapoli, who leads Wilson in the polls.

The ads are below. The first shows Wilson as an outsider, briefly describing his biography behind flashing images of him as a child (pre-orthodontic work, it seems) and running in a track competition (several pounds ago.) The second describes “Albany Tom,” plucking negative adjectives from newspaper articles and telling voters DiNapoli was “appointed comptroller in a backroom deal.”

According to a release from the Wilson campaign, the ads “involve a significant ad buy in select media markets around New York State.” Wilson has around $2.7 million in the bank — more than DiNapoli — in large part due to the $2.25 million Wilson has loaned his campaign.

UPDATE: Eric Sumberg, DiNapoli’s spokesman, said “It shocks no one that Hedge Fund Harry Wilson has decided to go negative early in his dubious attempt to purchase the Comptroller’s office.  When you are a product of Wall Street campaigning against a Comptroller who runs what independent experts call one of the best-managed pension funds in the United States, it behooves you to spread lies rather than run on your record of being forced out from your previous financial services job.”

Gov. David Paterson said he will pursue a court order requiring legislators to heed his special sessions and will keep calling them until a budget is passed.

“I would suggest that this duck is quacking, and this duck is swimming,” Paterson told John Gambling on WOR. “If they keep it up, we’re going to go to court which can compel them by contempt to follow the rules.”

Paterson did this last year, when senators were coup-coup senators were heeding his call to special session in shifts. (Fun fact: if you Google “Mandamus Vielkind” that story comes up lickety split. Help me, readers — is that a dirty phrase in Latin?)

“My problem is just getting them in the room right now,” Paterson said of senators, noting to Gambling and during other radio interviews that it was “brazen” and “disrespectful” of lawmakers to not show up for his special session. (Recall: nothing was actually accomplished in the session.)

Paterson accused legislators of “stalling” and issued this threat: “Then they’re going to stall it by staying in Albany until November, because my patience has run out.”

In radio interviews this morning, Gov. David Paterson gave a little more substance to his reaction the report by Judith Kaye about his role in a woman’s pursuit of domestic violence charges against an administration aide.

The governor appeared on WBEN in Buffalo, and was not asked about the report. On WHAM in Rochester, he said that “I think the report referred it, and that’s another investigation involving other people, and I think I’ll just let the attorney general’s office handle that.” (He was referring to a recommendation in the report that criminal charges against the aide, David Johnson, may be warranted. Johnson remains suspended without pay.)

Finally, on WOR in New York, Paterson said he was “grateful” with Kaye’s decision not to recommend criminal charges against him.

“I am grateful for the ruling, I am,” the governor told John Gambling, who then asked if he regretted abandoning his election bid.

“Yes, I mean, when that kind of thing comes up you have to devote time to it and there’s also time you have to devote to governing the state. And I am very happy to see that the gubernatorial candidates who are running now are pretty much doing what I have been doing all along, which I think validates that I would have been a strong contender in that race. But it was four months ago, John, and you make a decision and there’s no such vacillating or thinking what would have come before. I have a new goal, and that goal is to leave this state with the best possible financial picture it could have.”

Good morning! Sorry this is a touch late, I’ve been listening to Gov. David Paterson on the radio. (Posts soon). The legislature remains in town today, but are essentially in a standby mode without an agreement on unfinished budget business. Here are today’s headlines…

A report on Gov. David Paterson found criminal witness-tampering charges are not warranted against him, but that his contact with a woman pursuing domestic violence charges against his aide showed “errors of judgment.” (TU/BN)

Writes Nick Confessore: “The 54-page report depicts Mr. Paterson as at first incurious, almost nonchalant, about the episode involving Mr. Johnson, then distracted by reports that newspaper reporters were pursuing salacious rumors about the governor’s personal life. Eventually, as he began to learn of the seriousness and alleged violence of the dispute, he became increasingly focused on how disclosure of what happened would affect his political survival, and his own aides came to believe he had misled them and the public about it.” (NYT)

Bill Hammond says the report proves Paterson “has a casual relationship with the truth, at best.” (DN)

David Halbfinger argues that the report, as drafted, walks a line of minimal damage to Paterson and Cuomo. (NYT)

Yesterday’s special session wasn’t very special — in the Senate, there was bickering over bills. (BN/TU)

Is Assemblyman Greg Ball a super-conservative? (City Hall)

Kevin Fullington might be leaving the Lazio campaign. (SOP)

“If we don’t win the Republican primary, we’re going to be gone at that point, because we’re not going to be a spoiler to someone running against Andrew Cuomo and taking him down,” Carl Paladino said on NY1. (BN)

State Education official increased test standards, and student performance plummeted. (TU)

Serf Maltese, the former senator, wants to run the New York City Board of Elections. (City Hall)

New York City’s 2009 payroll is on the Internet. (Empire Center)

As prices have fallen, New York is producing less natural gas. (TU)

A poll shows, generically, that voters don’t want to re-elect their state senator. (DN)

The Post sees carelessness in Sen. Eric Schneiderman’s legislation preventing the towing of scofflaw vehicles and an incident where his staffer bumped a parked car and left. (NYP)

The Times Union questions Kathleen Rice’s voting record, or lack thereof. (TU)

Erika Riebel, lawyer, former school board member and judicial candidate, 46. (TU)

Some more people want to be heroes of reform. (NYO)

Bill Samuels argued that Pedro Espada is a larger problem for Democrats than just in his district. (NYO)

Sen. Liz Krueger’s family is donating to his opponent. (DP)

Nine Troy Democrats were involved in a voting fraud scandal. (TU)

Pray for Senator Diaz. (SOP)

More Independence Party officials are turning on Chairman Frank MacKay. (NYP)

And here are some national headlines…

In response to a Department of Justice lawsuit, a federal judge in Arizona struck down major components of that state’s immigration law. (WP)

Rep. Charlie Rangel continued settlement talks with the House Ethics Committee down to the wire, but whether a trial can be pre-empted remains unclear. (NYT/DN)

Barack Obama: a populist stumper and fundraising magnet? (WP)

Congress is working to re-legalize online gambling. (NYT)

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand is one of Capitol Hill’s 50 most beautiful. (NYP)

While the initial invitations for tonight’s fundraiser for Senate Democratic candidates Joanne Yepsen and Susan Savage went out weeks ago, at least a handful were issued today — which raised a few eyebrows among the late invitees. Was the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee trying to take advantage of the special session to rake in a little more?

Eric Blankenbaker of the DSCC said that while, yes, a few went out in recent days, the bulk of the invites to the event at the Reading Room in Saratoga Springs were issued when the fundraiser was planned — long before anyone knew the Legislature would be returning to town at Gov. Paterson’s behest.

DSCC chair and Senate Deputy Majority Leader Jeff Klein, who was questioned about the fundraiser by Kyle Hughes of NYSNYS as he left the chamber (see below), called to reiterate Blankenbaker’s point that the planning preceded the announcement of the session by weeks.

Klein himself had planned to attend before he learned he would be spending the evening in the Capitol. Asked if he thought the timing of the last round of invitations was appropriate, Klein said, “I wouldn’t have solicited today, no.”

Among many things revealed in the report issued by independent counsel Judith Kaye about how the Paterson administration got involved in an allegation of domestic violence against one of its own was that Major Charles Day acted — with the acquiescence of his superiors — to contact Sherri Booker when she was considering domestic violence charges against her then-boyfriend, gubernatorial aide David Johnson.

Superintendent Harry Corbitt and his predecessor, Pedro Perez, both resigned in the wake of this matter. State Police Chief Counsel Darren O’Connor issued this statement about the report, promising Troopers will undertake their own review of the matter:

The State Police appreciates the thorough investigation and report by Judge Kaye and the Office of the Attorney General. We are gratified by the report’s finding that the State Police did not interfere with the New York City Police Department’s response to Ms. Booker’s 911 calls, or induce Ms. Booker not to appear in court or affect her testimony. We will examine the findings and recommendations in the report concerning the Executive Services Detail, its recordkeeping and
its interaction with the Executive Chamber.

The State Police Internal Affairs Bureau will investigate the specific findings in the report, and appropriate action will be taken. Out of deference to Judge Kaye’s investigation, the Internal Affairs Bureau has held its examination in abeyance pending this report.

This from the report issued by Judith Kaye on Gov. David Paterson’s involvement with Sherri Booker, who after an October 31 incident pursued domestic violence charges against David Johnson, the governor’s aide.

This is a copy of the voice mail left by Paterson for Booker on the night of Feb. 24, 2010. Paterson had already spoken to Booker about her case against Johnson, which Booker told the governor she had stopped pursuing. Paterson had directed an aide, Marissa Shorenstein, to have contact with Booker (through an intermediary) to propose a statement about her breakup with Johnson, but the effort had failed.

This voice-mail was left on Booker’s phone by the governor that night, after the times posted a version of its story online.

Sherri, this is David. You should see the way they wrote this story. They’re trying to make it look like I pressured you into dropping this court case. Please help me. Your lawyer – his statement makes it sound the same way. Um, I mean – I was trying to find out about the rumors involving myself. You placed the call to me around ten minutes to four on Sunday, February the 7th – it was the day of the Superbowl. And, um, in the conversation, we just talked about the things that – that – you didn’t say anything about me, and I didn’t say about you. Then we went on to talk about other stuff, but – I hope, uh – you remember that I was not trying to make you do anything, and – I hope your lawyer will do something to help me here, because this, uh, doesn’t look good for me, and I wasn’t in this. And this is exactly what they’re after. And I – I was just not in this and didn’t – um, you know – want to play a role in it. And, to be honest with you, I believe you. So – um, anyway, uh – if you can help to clear this up, because it – that portrayal, that conversation – we didn’t talk for one minute, we talked for ten or fifteen minutes. And, um –I did tell you that I was there for you, and you could call me. But I wasn’t doing it to try to trade it for you dropping the ca- I didn’t even know the court date was Monday, to be honest with you. I’ll talk to you later.

Gov. David Paterson took questions after a meeting of the New York City Financial Control Board, and of course was asked about a report into his conduct as a woman pursued domestic violence charges against one of his aides.

“I’d like to thank Judge Kaye and the attorney general for competing the investigation that I instituted on February 24th. I can’t comment on it because I haven’t read the report yet,” Paterson said.

Paterson was asked if he might take any action against his staffers, some of whom were portrayed negatively.

“I can’t comment on it because I haven’t read it, and it would be remiss of me to comment on it,” Paterson replied.

Another try that I couldn’t quite hear.

“I think that after I’ve read the report I’ll comment on it,” the governor replied.

Then the governor was asked about the conspiracy theory that he called a special session because he knew of the report’s release.

“I didn’t know about when the report was being issued, and my office was not contacted by the attorney general’s office until 11 o’clock this morning. However!” The governor said, unable to conceal a smirk. “The legislature always finds a reason why they’re the victim. In fact, the people of the state of New York are the victims. They are the ones who are now approaching 120 days late on a budget. And every excuse, everything happens because no one is respecting these legislators. First of all, not enough of them have apparently even gotten here to take any action, the left before July 4 and can find any distraction or any other news item as being related to the fact that they have performed horribly. And just the idea of commenting on other issues as some sort of reason taht they were brought back — they’re being brought back because the budget’s not passed and I don’t care how many of ‘em show up, I’m going to keep bringing them back until it is.”