NY Gov. rejects White House's call not to run for re-election
Discussing President Barack Obama's request to New York Gov. David Paterson not to run for re-election, Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele framed the argument as one of race.
"I found that to be stunning, that the White House would send word to one of only two black governors in the country not to run for re-election, and it just raised a curious point for me," Steele told CBS's Bob Schieffer on Face the Nation Sunday. "I think Gov. Paterson's numbers are about the same as [New Jersey] Gov. [John] Cornize's numbers."
Schieffer had referred to a New York Times article published Sunday that stated the president had asked Paterson, through an intermediary, not to run for governor. Paterson assumed the governorship of New York last year after then-Governor Eliot Spitzer resigned over a sex scandal.
"You don't think he's asking him not to run because he's black?" an incredulous Schieffer asked Steele.
"I don't think that," Steele responded, "but you have so few... If you're saying it's the numbers, then why isn't there a call for those other Democratic governors who have low numbers as well?"
PATERSON FIGHTS BACK
The Times updated its article on Sunday afternoon, saying that Gov. Paterson had rejected the White House's request.
“I have said time and time again that I am running for governor next year,” the Times quoted him as saying, adding that Paterson would not “discuss confidential conversations.”
The Times reports:
The move against a sitting Democratic governor represents an extraordinary intervention into a state political race by the president, and is a delicate one, given that Mr. Paterson is one of only two African-American governors in the nation.
But Mr. Obama’s political team and other party leaders have grown increasingly worried that the governor’s unpopularity could drag down Democratic members of Congress in New York, as well as the Democratic-controlled Legislature, in next fall’s election.
-- Daniel Tencer
This video is from CBS' Face the Nation, broadcast Sept. 20, 2009.
I am so sick and tired of hearing that played out line of "oh cause I'm Black, you're doing this and that to me."
Micheal Steals is the one with the racist mentality pointing out that Paterson is one of two Black governors in the nation and that Obama's suggestion to re-consider running for governor is racist. What is this, a posse that can't be touched because of race? Steals concern, as a representative of AMERICA, should be, who is the better person to do the job right, not what race he is from. Has he not seen the polls. It's not just Obama who thinks he should reconsider, it's the community as well.
Also, let's not forget, that Obama is not all Black. He is also White and a person who will do what is best for his country regardless of the fact what race the person is from.
"STEELE: Yes. First -- first question, no, I don't think it's based on racism. I don't know where in that moment you could derive that that's exactly what was in the congressman's heart or his intent. I don't think it was an impression. In fact, I believe the president himself has said it was not an impression he took away from that moment. This was a (INAUDIBLE) disagreement, and he blurted out improperly, has been sanctioned for it, apologized to the president. So that part we can move on.
Having said that, now we have the former president, Jimmy Carter, elevating this to a point where, you know, he's sort of saying, Well, all these people who disagree with President Obama actually have some sinister view of the president based on race. And I think that that is disingenuous and it's just wrongheaded."
You were saying Mr. Puppe...er....Steele
Aw its just Bam bam tryna fool people so they wont think hes pro black nationalist and socialistic thats why hes hittin at Patterson and not at Corzine. A FAKE OUT dont yall get it? Look at the liberal paper that published this clap trap.
Dont matter no how Rudy Guiliani is gonna win and turn New York state around like he did that hell hole New York City.
Steele is a fool plain and simple but they cant get ridda him cause of affirmative action the Republican Party is doing to get some black vote's. Aint gonna happen they love there Bam Bam thats all there is to it.
Fuck that useful idiot, Steele! Republiklans will soon tire of your tommimg ass anyway. Thy don't like black people, repeat...THEY DON'T LIKE BLACK PEOPLE in the Republiklan Party! Conservative Christian Republicans are racist.
Seems like everytime Steele opens his mouth he sticks his foot in it. Anyway, I'm strting to think that he's actually a white person whose been doctored to appear black. Sure sounds like a redneck.
Steele is pathetic...and everything that comes out of his mouth is idiotic drivel ....NO WONDER he makes a great chairman & representative of his worthless, dying Party.
Let's put on our thinking hats. Who lives in New York? Who works in Harlem? Who is known as the "first" Black President? .......and, who will make "rotten" rudy look like the shithole he is?...... Bill Clinton will replace Paterson..
"If you're saying it's the numbers, then why isn't there a call for those other Democratic governors who have low numbers as well?""
Perhaps because while other governors have low ratings, they aren't set to have their asses handed to them by a high profile Repub?
Just sayin..
Also, first it's reported that the DNC asked him not to run.. now it's the President? based on some "anonymous source"? Where is the reporting on how it changed from a Party issue to "the President wants it"? .. and how the fuck does this have _anything_ to do with race?
The right-wing is all abuz about "why you gotta bring up race all the time!", then that's their 1 trick pony show?
"Aw its just Bam bam tryna fool people so they wont think hes pro black nationalist and socialistic"
might want to tighten up that tin foil hat a bit.