Judge Not, Lest Ye...

Of all the people who should not chime in on the case of Senator Hiram Monseratte, David Paterson is at the top of the list. But, as Daily Politics reports, that doesn't stop the governor from pontificating: "Gov. David Paterson voiced strong support for the Senate's decision to expel Hiram Monserrate and suggested additional felony charges could have been brought against the (for now) ex-senator had the Queens DA "gone further" in his investigation."

So, what we have is an accidental-waiting to happen-governor who admits to serial matrimonial and drug abuse indiscretions weighing in on the fitness of Monseratte:

"I think that’s what his colleagues in the Senate have told him, that right now they don’t believe that he is fit to serve as a senator,” said the governor, adding that Monserrate should not "play games" by suggesting it was inappropriate to expel him because his assault of his girlfriend took place before he took his seat.

"He was a senator at the time of his conviction,” Paterson said. "I hope that the people of his area will elect someone who will serve with dignity and distinction."

That the words dignity, fitness and distinction can even form in the governor's mouth for open expression is, well, mind boggling-and it demonstrates such a complete lack of self awareness that we're not surprised that he continues in his quixotic quest to prove all of the current polls wrong. Now what happens if the NY Times actually does have the kind of story that we've heard they have?

The governor, using his law degree in ways that question what Hofstra was doing back in the day, goes on the allege that the Queens DA could have gone even further: "He clearly was quite familiar with the report, noting it had revealed Monserrate's staffers closely monitored his girlfriend, Karla Giraldo, taking her back and forth to court every day, and also were involved in the creation of her statement about the incident.

"I think that if the district attorney had gone further and had actually investigated the tampering of witnesses and evidence after the initial incident, that there may have been an additional felony charged that he might have faced,” the governor said."

Just goes to show how it's possible for a prosecutorial brief-the investigation conducted by the senate-can metastasize in the absence of real due process-i.e., the participation of Monseratte in the preparation of the report. In fact, we know on good authority that the governor's allegation that the senator's aides were, "engaged in the creation of..." Karla Giraldo's statement is an absolute canard-and that from the very day she was admitted to the hospital she was telling the same story, without prompting, that she continues to tell to this day.

And as for dignity and distinction, we too can't wait for the people of New York State to elect a chief executive that embodies those valued character traits-because they sure don't have someone in the office who does so now.