White House Should Back Off NY Gov. Paterson

When then-Sen. Barack Obama was contemplating running for president, many of the party loyalists were saying the junior senator from Illinois should not bother stepping into the race, saying he was too inexperienced to take on the "inevitable" nominee, then-Sen. Hillary Clinton.

He ignored their sage advice, and it was good that he did. He's the president of the United States, and Clinton now works for him as his secretary of state.

So it's pretty interesting to watch the White House apply pressure to New York Gov. David Paterson, pushing him not to run for governor as the incumbent.

Various reports suggest that the White House is troubled by poll numbers for Paterson, which it says could threaten other Democrats down ballot. Although Vice President Joe Biden told me on my TV One Sunday morning show, "Washington Watch with Roland Martin," that President Obama has not told Paterson directly that he shouldn't run, it's clear that strong statements of nonsupport from the administration have been sent Paterson's way.

The first black governor of New York, one of only two in the country, was taken aback at the public rebuke, and even his wife has been critical of the attempts to get him not to run, which have paved the way for New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo to seek the office.

After a luncheon this week, Michelle Paterson said: "You never heard of that before. David's the first African-American governor in the state of New York, and he's being asked to get out of the race. It's very unusual, and it seems very unfair."

The attempt to get Paterson to back out has hit a sore spot among prominent African-Americans in New York. Let's be clear: If President Obama were white, they would be tearing him to shreds over this issue. But because he's black, he's getting a pass. They don't want to damage the president, but they are also loyal to Paterson.

It's also interesting to watch the White House's response in comparison with its response to New Jersey Gov.

Jon Corzine, who was in the dumps in the polls for a year and was considered a dead man walking. Now he has closed the gap against his Republican rival, and with a massive Democratic turnout, he could regain his seat.

U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, the third-most powerful person in the House and the most prominent African-American in Congress, didn't mince words, calling the White House's effort and that of New York Democrats "sophomoric."

"I love David Paterson," Clyburn told me on "Washington Watch." "His dad's a great friend from way back. But the fact of the matter is you have other political considerations. I am not saying that anything in this process was done correctly. In fact, I abhor what I hear. If what I hear is true, it was absolutely done in a sophomoric way. There is a way to deal with these kinds of things, and for some strange reason, some pretty astute politicians dealt with it wrongly, in my opinion."

Yes, Paterson has made some mind-boggling mistakes. His recent rant on race on a New York radio show was flat-out dumb. But the election is a year away, and he could mount a comeback, although others don't think that's likely.

Democrats are clearly fearful that Paterson could bring the ticket down, leading them to lose Hillary Clinton's former U.S. Senate seat and other statewide offices. But Dems are down in gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia, so it's not all about the person at the top of the ticket. It's also the angst in Washington, D.C.

Had the talks with Paterson been kept private, I believe Paterson would not have run. Now he's angry at the strong push to get out, and he could fight back by staying in the race. It's his decision and his alone, and those around the president didn't make this issue easier with their heavy-handed tactics.

Roland S. Martin is an award-winning CNN analyst and the author of the forthcoming book "The First: President Barack Obama's Road to the White House as originally reported by Roland S. Martin." Please visit his Web site at www.RolandSMartin.com. To find out more about Roland S. Martin and read his past columns, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

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