Paterson continues to govern amid scandals

By Mark Scott

New York, NY – Governor David Paterson says he met with his personal attorney Saturday amid two scandals that threaten his job. He made the comment Monday following a town hall meeting in Brooklyn on state budget issues.

Paterson is trying to send a message that he is able to deal with the state's fiscal problems despite calls that he resign because of the scandals. Paterson says some unpopular decisions need to be made to close an eight billion dollar budget gap in the state budget that's due April 1st. He says he won't let the scandals stop him from governing.

A poll from the Siena Research Institute released Monday shows a clear majority of New Yorkers want Paterson to complete his term rather than having the reins turned over to Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch. But that same poll shows Paterson's favorability rating slipped to its lowest level yet at 21 percent.

While most respondents to the Siena poll think Attorney General Andrew Cuomo will conduct a fair and impartial investigation of the governor and his staff, two-thirds did say they would prefer an independent, outside prosecutor to carry out the probe.

Click the audio player above to hear Mark Scott's story now or use your podcasting software to download it to your computer or iPod.