Does this mean there won't be tablescapes? The unusual situation of having a divorced Governor-elect has pundits wondering the role of his famous (and rich!) girlfriend. Andrew Cuomo and Semi-Homemade lifestyle guru Sandra Lee currently live together in Mount Kisco, but things will change in January, because Cuomo plans to live in the Governor's Mansion in Albany while Lee apparently will not live there. So, no canned tomato soup and cottage cheese lasagna there! more ›

A spokeswoman for Governor Paterson revealed that the governor only yesterday learned of the high price tag antique rugs bought for the Executive Mansion over the summer. His administration also denied all requests from the press to see the rug, that now has been revealed to be one of five purchased--for a total of just under $38,000. Assemblyman James Tedisco has already called on the governor to return the expensive carpeting. But once again the Office of General Services was defending the purchase saying, "We have to keep that mansion in the kind of condition it's in because it's a treasure to the public." And the general manager at Stark Carpeting, where the first rug was discovered to have been bought for over $20,000 defended the governor for actually being a spendthrift by not purchasing a $150,000 carpet, "They could have had the Bentley instead of the Ford." more ›

With a state deficit that could reach 15 billion by the end of next year, what's another $20,000 spent on a fancy carpet for the state house? That's how much was shelled out by Governor Paterson for the antique Turkish rug purchased from Spitzer/Paterson campaign donors Stark Carpet located on 3rd Avenue here in Manhattan. With the governor's almost singular issue over the last few months being the state's budget crisis, the purchase has naturally raised some eyebrows. But Brad Maione, a spokesman for the Office of General Services defended it saying, "(The governor's mansion) serves as a public space that in many ways is a museum open to thousands of visitors and school children each year." The Times-Union notes however that unless there's a public event, most days it remains closed to the public. more ›