Now that former Gov. Eliot Spitzer may be eyeing a comeback, Gov. Paterson is ready to support his former boss despite the hooker scandal. Paterson prides himself on having an administration—whatever's left of it—full of people with checkered pasts looking for a shot at redemption. He told Kiss-FM, "I've dedicated myself to hiring people who have had infractions when they were younger but had talent. I hope the same standard will be extended to Gov. Spitzer, who had tremendous talent and I hope will be able to exercise it." Nice words for someone who wasn't even Spitzer's first pick.

Paterson has given second chances to people like former aide David Johnson, known for his former felony charges and domestic abuse, which ultimately led to his suspension. Paterson has apparently been speaking of redemption recently. At a church in Flushing yesterday he got all preachy with the message, saying, "All of us who are really imperfect beings and sinners make a lot of mistakes in our everyday lives, but we get to come to places like the Promise Ministries, where we can hear the word of God." He also vowed to get the state budget figured out in the next week or two.