The issue is no small matter in a state with an appointed senator running statewide for the first time in 2010 and more than a half-dozen vulnerable House Democrats — including five freshmen.
According to interviews with New York Democrats, the request for intervention came from both Albany and Washington, where Paterson’s precarious political standing unnerved many officeholders who are worried about the prospect of running in a midterm election with a deeply unpopular incumbent at the top of the ballot.
“Clearly, the situation in New York is unusual and requires leadership at a greater level than anyone in New York can provide,” said Rep. Dan Maffei, a first-term Democrat who occupies a seat in upstate New York. “I, for one, welcome the president’s involvement.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member