Perhaps I should revise my earlier comments. We learned yesterday that New York Gov. David Paterson, several years ago, went through a rough patch in his marriage, and both he and his wife had affairs. They went to counseling, worked things out, and everything’s fine. I suggested that this really doesn’t, and shouldn’t, amount to much.
But then, the story took a little turn today.
In his first full day as governor, David Paterson acknowledged yesterday that he has had affairs with “a number of women” in the past – including one state employee.
Standing with his wife, Michelle, in the Capitol’s Red Room, the governor said his “conscience is clear” when it comes to his marriage and infidelities.
“I just want to get straight with New York’s citizens, so that they know who their governor is, and that their governor takes this office seriously,” he told reporters…. The 53-year-old father admitted that he was involved with numerous women “several years ago” – including one who worked in Gov. Spitzer’s office, aides said later, and has now been “inherited” by Paterson.
The governor added that he’s never been the women’s direct supervisor and that he never used state funds. Let’s certainly hope that’s the case.
Christopher Orr added, “The perceived rational of Paterson’s original admission of infidelity was that it was better getting this all out in the open at once, instead of having it drip out gradually and spawn rumors and innuendo. But that, of course, only works if you get the whole admission out of the way, rather than letting it drip out gradually and spawn rumors and innuendo.”
As long as no laws were broken, and no one did anything unethical (at least as it regards professional ethics in the workplace and/or under state guidelines), I see no reason that years-old adultery should seriously hurt Paterson over the next three years.
But if there’s anything else the governor would like to share, now would probably be a good time to do so.