Mrs. Paterson to Mr. Obama: Butt out

Embattled New York Gov. David Paterson has a wife named Michelle too, and she came out swinging today at the Obama White House.

Paterson became governor after Eliot Spitzer resigned amid a prostitution scandal. With his poll numbers down and still-popular former New York Mayor Rudy Guiliani lurking in the wings to challenge Paterson, the White House sent word to Albany that perhaps Paterson could fall on his sword for the party and just forget to file his re-election papers.

Today, in a series of interview with the Big Apple's panting news media, New York's First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson said it was wrong for the White House to get involved.

"David's the first African American governor in the state of New York and he's being asked to get out of the race. It's very unusual and it seems very unfair," she told the New York Post. "I never heard of a president asking a governor not to run ... I don't think it's right."

During a trip to upstate New York on Monday, President Obama told Paterson, according to Michelle Paterson, that he was "a little chagrined about how the White House handled the message."

The person who delivered the message -- New York Democrat Gregory Meeks -- said today he only laid out the case for retirement but didn't push. "All I was doing was telling a friend what the issues are that are out there," the Queens congressman told the Daily News. "It's up to him."

No matter how clumsy the message delivery system was, maybe Mrs. Paterson has a point. Maybe Obama should stay out of Paterson's backyard and worry about his own poll numbers.

-- Johanna Neuman

Photo: New York First Lady Michelle Paige Paterson. Credit: James Keivom / New York Daily News

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Comments

[Hal]

Paterson is not capable of governing.Tthat is the issue.

[Millie]

Obama has no business interferring in a State's elected officials races. Obama believes he is know it all, can do it all, no one else can do it like him. Has he not heard of "States' Rights"? Butt out, idiot.

[Gary Wernholm]

Mrs Paterson is right. Obama has enough on his table. He can't even do his own job right. And what is this President doing, calling cops stupid, and intervening in the West/Swift thing. Doesn't he have anything better tlo do like fix health care, fix the economy, Fire our inefficent congress, and I think we still are fighting a war. So before Obama starts telling other people to step down maybe he shoulod take a lo ng hard look at himself.

[jch]

Would that make Mrs. Patterson a racist? Just "axing".........

[Hostile Knowledge]

How dare Paterson's wife attack the anointed one!!! This is heresy!

This is so-o-o-o-o funny!

[maz hess]

I think the main reason for obama's statement was to tell the people from the senate and the congress that if they would trouble him in his will to get the health bill, the climate bill and the financial rules bill done he would not hesitate to get in their way as he has it done with paterson. He just picked paterson out as an example to show the public what would happen to anybody who would cross his way.

[mew]

Obviously a case of racism.

[Maggie Knowles]

President Obama is the leader of the Democratic Party and knows a thing or two about winning elections.

[Concerned]

Has anyone noticed the president's condescending treatment of Michael Steele (see the president's WH correspondent dinner remarks towards Steele)? Look at it on You Tube. You can see the hatred simmering underneath the so called "humor".

[Jean]

Obama wants to 'run' everything! Tell him to get the H--- out of what the states are doing.

[jahbless]

people, president that paterson will not beat Guiliani. he is well know in NY. it's a fairly warning. to see the reaction of the people where they stand with Paterson. make sure you vote for David Paterson to prove Pres. Obama wrong. peace!