Governor Paterson Under Fire Over Caroline Debacle
Governor Paterson is taking a beating from the press over all the leaks and snarky remarks that emanated from his office during the Caroline Kennedy disaster. At a recent press conference, the governor got so mad that he stalked out after only eight minutes of questioning.
"I'm going to address this issue for the last time," Paterson said.
Slim chance. With the New York Post comparing his ability to tell the truth to Pinocchio, Paterson was on the hot seat again Tuesday over his administration's handling of Kennedy.
"I had nothing to do with any of the negative characterizations of any of the candidates, particularly Caroline Kennedy," Paterson said.
But reporters -- some of whom had received calls from "sources close to the governor" attacking Kennedy -- peppered the beleaguered governor with questions about the leaks. He was also asked if he would give lie detector tests to his staff.
"I'm not going to hunt down scurrilous rumors," Paterson said.
After just eight minutes of the tough grilling the governor stalked out of the room with reporters left still asking questions.
"Are you going to apologize to Caroline Kennedy?" one reporter asked.
The furor detracted from the new Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand's brief swearing in, where she promised to uphold the constitution.
The controversy has caused the governor's popularity to plummet.
The governor isn't going to be able to duck this forever. The entire situation was handled unprofessionally and he's going to have to give up some answers sooner or later.
