The Times' long article on Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch on Sunday brings up yet more concerns about Governor David Paterson.
It also raises this question: What can political parties do to make sure that their nominees for top...

The state budget is supposed to be passed in less than a month, and  I'm starting to wonder what the budget talks between the legislature and the governor will look like this year.
If legislators are really refusing to negotiate with...

As Rochester's parents, teachers, and students grapple with Mayor Bob Duffy's plan to make the city school district a department of city government, a Rhode Island schools superintendent is taking a different approach to solve a familiar...

Maybe the latest revelations aren't true. Maybe somebody's feeding lies to the New York Times. But if not, Governor Paterson needs to put the interest of New Yorkers ahead of his own and step down.
This morning's Times story: Paterson himself...

A year ago today I was dealing with prostate cancer.
The cancer was advanced, so my only option was a radical prostatectomy to remove the gland and nearby lymph nodes. My PSA-levels have been normal since the surgery.
And I have made it through...

If politics is entertainment for you (as opposed to the serious business of governance), this is quite a week, isn't it? The drama swirling around David Paterson is growing. Charlie Rangel is "stepping aside" - temporarily - as head of the House...

Coming up today: Obama will announce his new health-care ideas, incorporating some Republican suggestions. No one, of course, is holding their breath over the possibility that some Republicans will jump ship. Mitch McConnell and John Boehner,...

Also coming up, of course: some kind of news from Governor Paterson's meeting with his cabinet, which began about 11 this morning.
In the Daily Politics blog this morning, the Daily News' Ken Lovett suggests there'll be no earth-shaking...

So what do we call this one? A mini scandal?
In the early part of the afternoon, we'd been waiting for news from David Paterson's meeting (rare meeting) with his cabinet. Instead, here came yet another charge against the governor. The state's...

The most powerful man in Rochester these days is Adam Urbanski.
The longtime-head of the Rochester Teachers Association has the power to stop all of the resistance to mayoral control in a snap, Mayor Bob Duffy said in an interview...

We'll find out soon whether Democrats - seemingly under siege no matter where they turn - can get anything done with health-care reform.
At the moment, too many of the fractious Dems are holding out for their personal ideal bill, whatever it may...

Top Republicans are busy distancing themselves from some fundraising materials - with good reason.
A 72-page document, found in a hotel where a GOP fundraiser was being held, spells out their strategy for raising money: with small donors, play...

Opponents have been dominating the discussion about mayoral control, but late yesterday afternoon Mayor Bob Duffy hit back at one group.
Members of the area Students for a Democratic Society organization had organized a press conference and...

An anti-Joe Morelle robocall is making the rounds. Members of City Council mentioned the call at a meeting last night, and Council member Carolee Conklin played the recording for a City Newspaper writer.
"Joe Morelle raised our taxes and...

SUNY Brockport Professor Joe Makarewicz offered me this succinct explanation of the problem with invasive species in the Great Lakes: "Once they're here you can't get rid of them."
Makarewicz was talking to me about invasives in general. But his...

The 29th Congressional District is going to stay in the headlines for a while, thanks to the looming possibility of a special election to replace Eric Massa, who's giving up his seat on Monday.
The race's outcome will be seen as a bellwether,...

Given the amount of really bad news he's being hit with, Governor David Paterson must have taken comfort in The Daily Beast's piece Friday morning.
Reihan Salam's "What Paterson Got Right" reminds us that there's plenty worth praising about our...

The Center for Governmental Research and a local opinion-research firm, Metrix Matrix, are polling a sample of Rochester residents this week on mayoral control. A previous poll, commissioned by a coalition of mayoral-control opponents, surveyed...

It's come down to the wire for the Democrats to get a health care bill passed.
Democrats are saying they will have a bill in front of the president before Easter, and Obama is pushing his party to come together soon. Their only option at this...

Eric Massa's going on Glenn Beck's Fox News show tomorrow at 5 p.m.
This comes on the heels of Massa's radio appearance yesterday on Hornell's WKPQ, where he's hosted a weekly radio program since he took office. During yesterday's show, he...