Paterson Against the Special Interests?-Not so Much

We received a fascinating message from Governor Paterson 2010 that claims-kind of counter intuitively-that he's the one standing between us and the special interests: "Now, with an important campaign financial filing deadline coming up in less than a week, the Albany special interests are intent on burying Governor Paterson's campaign under a mountain of their money contributed to their candidates. The special interests are determined to show that you can't succeed in New York politics if you take them on. And they will stop at nothing to send the message that they continue to run things in Albany."

Does he mean the Indian cigarette dealers who are "burying" the state's legitimate retailers in a mountain of untaxed cigarettes? The very Indians who the governor is treating with such kid gloves that editorial, after editorial, after editorial is calling him out for his fecklessness?

And then the governor's fundraising plea concludes with the following whopper: "Governor Paterson is committed to putting the people first, no matter how difficult the circumstances. I am confident that those tough choices mean a brighter New York for all of us tomorrow. I hope I can count on you to stand with him to make it happen."

Well, in our view, if the governor really wants to stand up for the people he can begin by standing up for the rule of law-and the concept of equal protection under the law. He can do this by simply collecting the hundreds of millions of dollars owed by tax scofflaws masquerading as an oppressed class of Native Americans.

And, while we're at it, standing up for the people means not cutting their educational resources or their health care access while there's still tax money left on the table to collect. So, governor, please don't posture as a latter day Rocky Balboa when your actions-or inaction, as the case may be-conjures up more readily the image of Caspar Milquetoast.