ALBANY - Gov. David Paterson has said he's going to keep confidential his process to pick to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's successor. To statewide Democratic party leaders, it's been more like a Cone of Silence.
And for several party chairmen contacted by The Associated Press this week, that's just fine.
“We have to allow the governor to come to a decision,” said Westchester County Democratic Chairman Reginald “Reggie” A. LaFayette. “It's a big appointment for him and I don't think he needs to be pushed.”
That's the way Paterson has wanted it since President-elect Barack Obama tapped Clinton to be his secretary of state. Paterson has made it clear he doesn't want any hard lobbying by hopefuls or their supporters.
The result has been one highly visible tour of some upstate cities by Caroline Kennedy, a few less noticeable tours by other potential picks, and careful, back-channel contacts between the candidates or their surrogates and Paterson's advisers.
Kennedy is open about her desire to carry on the family legacy. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has only hinted about his interest while his supporters have pounced to knock down any notion that he has officially sought the job. Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York City hired lobbyist Bill Lynch, who has ties to Paterson, and has collected the endorsement of three major women's groups.
The AP interviewed several county chairmen from across the state to see how much input they've given the governor on Clinton's successor. The short answer? None. LaFayette said he doesn't know of the governor reaching out to any county party chairmen for advice.
Paterson has begun to show annoyance with the daily speculation and has consistently said the decision is his alone. He has refused to release a 28-page
questionnaire sent to a half-dozen candidates or reveal any of the questions intended to help search their background for any issues that might hurt or embarrass the candidate or Paterson.
He continues to say he has no favorite and Kennedy's coup as an early and important supporter of Obama during his campaign is just one of the “pluses and minuses” he has to weigh.
“Caroline Kennedy obviously does have a tremendous relationship with the president that's certainly a plus,” Paterson said Thursday. “She does not have much political, I mean, legislative experience, which is a minus.”
Paterson said he will meet with Kennedy and the other hopefuls shortly. He said he's spoken to about 10 potential candidates already and has another four or five to talk to next week before he makes a decision. He's expected to announce his decision at about the time Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state and steps down from the Senate.
Early on in the process, Paterson identified a handful of people he would talk to before making the pick, including: Rep. Charles Rangel, the dean of the New York delegation; U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer; Reps. Greg Meeks and Nita Lowey; staffers William Cunningham and Charlotte Hitchcock; and his wife Michelle.
It's an unusual position for Paterson, who sought greater government transparency when he was a nearly powerless Democratic leader in the Republican-led Senate. But part of the equation in picking a senator will be what fundraising power and voter appeal the choice will bring to the 2010 Democratic ticket, which Paterson hopes to head as he runs for the office he assumed when Eliot Spitzer resigned.
Paterson has said he will announce his choice after Clinton is confirmed.
“The governor hasn't asked me,” said Herman “Denny” Farrell, the Democratic committee chairman in Manhattan, a former state party chairman and a longtime assemblyman.
“I think it's the governor's call,” echoed Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard Lenihan. “I think he has his own criteria.”
In New York, party leaders traditionally are heavily courted by candidates and then decide who the county should endorse. The county leader then gives marching orders to loyalists who help the chosen candidate win that county. In this case, though, there are no orders for chairmen to give because Paterson alone will choose the successor.
“Our doors have been open to all the candidates,” Lenihan said from Buffalo. Maloney visited last week, Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island visited before that, and Kennedy called and said she would visit.
Most Democrats there were leaning toward local Rep. Brian Higgins and there's continued interest in getting an upstater to join Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York City. (The rest of the elected statewide officials are also from New York City.) But geography is no deal breaker.
Lenihan, like many Buffalo Democrats, has photos and strong memories of John F. Kennedy's visit that rocked Memorial Auditorium during the 1960 presidential campaign.
“My office looks like a branch office of the Kennedy family,” said Lenihan, who was 11 when JFK visited. But he said he's not endorsing JFK's daughter or anyone else, publicly or privately.
“Our candidates are an embarrassment of riches,” he said.
The leaders said they sense no groundswell for any of the hopefuls, mirroring statewide polls that give pluralities to Kennedy and Cuomo while showing some support for several others.
In New York, the governor is the true head of his party, controlling patronage and other political favors, so pressure from county leaders is rare.
State party Chairwoman June O'Neill has not commented on who should follow Clinton to the Senate. A spokeswoman said the party would support Paterson's choice.
Rangel didn't respond to a request for comment. Schumer, New York's senior senator, said the choice is Paterson's alone and wouldn't comment further.
Paterson also has not reached out to more progressive Democrats aligned with the increasingly influential Working Families Party. That could be a critical constituency because the minor party has been willing to run primaries, usually among Democrats, to gain an additional ballot line.
“We think it's very important that there be an effective, progressive senator,” said Working Families Party leader Dan Cantor. His party has made no endorsement, but has spoken to several potential appointees.
“I don't think he's calling anybody,” Cantor said of Paterson. “If he wants to know what we think, he can have a staffer call us. But we think we have something useful to say.”
AP-ES-01-09-09 1644EST
“We have to allow the governor to come to a decision,” said Westchester County Democratic Chairman Reginald “Reggie” A. LaFayette. “It's a big appointment for him and I don't think he needs to be pushed.”
That's the way Paterson has wanted it since President-elect Barack Obama tapped Clinton to be his secretary of state. Paterson has made it clear he doesn't want any hard lobbying by hopefuls or their supporters.
The result has been one highly visible tour of some upstate cities by Caroline Kennedy, a few less noticeable tours by other potential picks, and careful, back-channel contacts between the candidates or their surrogates and Paterson's advisers.
Kennedy is open about her desire to carry on the family legacy. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has only hinted about his interest while his supporters have pounced to knock down any notion that he has officially sought the job. Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York City hired lobbyist Bill Lynch, who has ties to Paterson, and has collected the endorsement of three major women's groups.
The AP interviewed several county chairmen from across the state to see how much input they've given the governor on Clinton's successor. The short answer? None. LaFayette said he doesn't know of the governor reaching out to any county party chairmen for advice.
Paterson has begun to show annoyance with the daily speculation and has consistently said the decision is his alone. He has refused to release a 28-page
questionnaire sent to a half-dozen candidates or reveal any of the questions intended to help search their background for any issues that might hurt or embarrass the candidate or Paterson.
He continues to say he has no favorite and Kennedy's coup as an early and important supporter of Obama during his campaign is just one of the “pluses and minuses” he has to weigh.
“Caroline Kennedy obviously does have a tremendous relationship with the president that's certainly a plus,” Paterson said Thursday. “She does not have much political, I mean, legislative experience, which is a minus.”
Paterson said he will meet with Kennedy and the other hopefuls shortly. He said he's spoken to about 10 potential candidates already and has another four or five to talk to next week before he makes a decision. He's expected to announce his decision at about the time Clinton is confirmed as secretary of state and steps down from the Senate.
Early on in the process, Paterson identified a handful of people he would talk to before making the pick, including: Rep. Charles Rangel, the dean of the New York delegation; U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer; Reps. Greg Meeks and Nita Lowey; staffers William Cunningham and Charlotte Hitchcock; and his wife Michelle.
It's an unusual position for Paterson, who sought greater government transparency when he was a nearly powerless Democratic leader in the Republican-led Senate. But part of the equation in picking a senator will be what fundraising power and voter appeal the choice will bring to the 2010 Democratic ticket, which Paterson hopes to head as he runs for the office he assumed when Eliot Spitzer resigned.
Paterson has said he will announce his choice after Clinton is confirmed.
“The governor hasn't asked me,” said Herman “Denny” Farrell, the Democratic committee chairman in Manhattan, a former state party chairman and a longtime assemblyman.
“I think it's the governor's call,” echoed Erie County Democratic Chairman Leonard Lenihan. “I think he has his own criteria.”
In New York, party leaders traditionally are heavily courted by candidates and then decide who the county should endorse. The county leader then gives marching orders to loyalists who help the chosen candidate win that county. In this case, though, there are no orders for chairmen to give because Paterson alone will choose the successor.
“Our doors have been open to all the candidates,” Lenihan said from Buffalo. Maloney visited last week, Rep. Steve Israel of Long Island visited before that, and Kennedy called and said she would visit.
Most Democrats there were leaning toward local Rep. Brian Higgins and there's continued interest in getting an upstater to join Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer of New York City. (The rest of the elected statewide officials are also from New York City.) But geography is no deal breaker.
Lenihan, like many Buffalo Democrats, has photos and strong memories of John F. Kennedy's visit that rocked Memorial Auditorium during the 1960 presidential campaign.
“My office looks like a branch office of the Kennedy family,” said Lenihan, who was 11 when JFK visited. But he said he's not endorsing JFK's daughter or anyone else, publicly or privately.
“Our candidates are an embarrassment of riches,” he said.
The leaders said they sense no groundswell for any of the hopefuls, mirroring statewide polls that give pluralities to Kennedy and Cuomo while showing some support for several others.
In New York, the governor is the true head of his party, controlling patronage and other political favors, so pressure from county leaders is rare.
State party Chairwoman June O'Neill has not commented on who should follow Clinton to the Senate. A spokeswoman said the party would support Paterson's choice.
Rangel didn't respond to a request for comment. Schumer, New York's senior senator, said the choice is Paterson's alone and wouldn't comment further.
Paterson also has not reached out to more progressive Democrats aligned with the increasingly influential Working Families Party. That could be a critical constituency because the minor party has been willing to run primaries, usually among Democrats, to gain an additional ballot line.
“We think it's very important that there be an effective, progressive senator,” said Working Families Party leader Dan Cantor. His party has made no endorsement, but has spoken to several potential appointees.
“I don't think he's calling anybody,” Cantor said of Paterson. “If he wants to know what we think, he can have a staffer call us. But we think we have something useful to say.”
AP-ES-01-09-09 1644EST
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