Yesterday, NJ Acting Governor Stephen Sweeney announced the end of the Garden State's "state of emergency" due to the blizzard conditions. But it was only the beginning of the criticism for NJ Governor Chris Christie, who is vacationing at Disney World, and his lieutenant governor, Kim Guadagno, who is vacationing in Mexico. See, the position of lieutenant governor was created so that when the NJ governor has to leave power—hey, it's happened before—power can stay within the governor's purview, versus being kicked over the State Senate, where there may be differing views (remember when David Paterson made Richard Ravitch his #2?). In other words, having a lieutenant governor has been kinda useless so far. more ›

Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced that his pick for his running mate will be Rochester Mayor Bob Duffy. The Observer's Azi Paybarah says, "Duffy, a one-term mayor, has not held office in the New York State legislature, which is politically a good thing this year and bolsters the image Cuomo is presenting of himself as an 'outsider,' unaffiliated with New York's deeply unpopular state government." more ›

Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Mike Huckabee dipped his toe into the NY 2010 election season and endorsed Myers Mermel, a Manhattan resident, for Lieutenant Governor. Huckabee says on a video, "He's governor ready. Now, let me explain what that means. I was a lieutenant governor and became governor because the governor had to, somehow, get out of office. You know what? That's happened a lot, including in New York. The lieutenant governor needs to be somebody who is ready to take the job." In a 2008 Observer feature, Mermel was described as running "a commercial real estate ownership and advisory business. Of late, he's also quite busy with the thankless task of running Huckabee’s New York bid." more ›

Former Bronx Borough President and current director of the White House Office of Urban Affairs Adolfo Carrion Jr. has been flirting with the idea of coming back to New York. The Daily News and City Hall News both report that he's been thinking about running for Lieutenant Governor; in fact, the News says Carrion "is bored working for the Obama administration," but "Here's the catch: Carrión wants to be asked to run, sources said, not the other way around. So far, there has been no response from the Cuomo camp." more ›

The Post has a ball while reporting on how Eliot Spitzer came to choose David Paterson as his running mate: Apparently Spitzer's aides were warned that Paterson was a "hard partier," a reference to Paterson's "extramarital dalliances, past drug use and penchant for late-night clubbing. But Spitzer's people didn't get the message." An aide tells the Post, "We didn't know what 'hard partying' even meant. Our idea of fun is to go exercise. The thinking was, 'He enjoys partying -- that's nice!'" HA! more ›

Depress yourself about the state of the state of New York some more by reading the NY Times' feature on accidental lieutenant governor Richard Ravitch! Basically, it boils down to the problem of having an apparently competent and respected person in Albany...but without any power to do anything. Ravitch himself says, "You could say, ‘Ravitch isn’t relevant to anything,’ and that wouldn’t be totally inaccurate either." more ›

The hits keep coming for Governor Paterson today! Besides NY1 reporter Josh Robin Tweeting that Paterson's aides couldn't find the governor (spokesman says that Paterson was in NYC) and Rep. Nita Lowery (D-Westchester) saying that he should resign, now the Staten Island Advance says that it's been weeks since Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch has spoken with Paterson. more ›

Our new lieutenant governor does not know what Twitter is and has a playful sense of swearing. Richard Ravitch wasted no time in spinning out the "I don't give a shit" charm that makes him so appealing to many New Yorkers, telling reporters, "I know that my golf game is going to go to hell in a basket." more ›

Score one for Paterson! The state's highest court just sided with him on his appointment of Richard Ravitch as Lieutenant Govenor. Read the Times piece for a full brief on the 4-3 decision, considered a "stunning reversal" - all the lower courts had held against Paterson. more ›

Well you had a good run, Richard Ravitch. After conflicting decisions from the courts in the days immediately following him signing his name as lieutenant governor in Peter Luger's blood, a state appeals panel in Brooklyn has once again struck down Governor Paterson's appointment of Ravitch as unconstitutional. In the panel's unanimous decision today, they said, "We have no quarrel with those who say that having a man of Mr. Ravitch’s stature, knowledge, and experience in the office of lieutenant governor would promote the public interest by providing help and counsel to the governor in difficult times and by bringing much-needed stability to the government of this State...(but) the governor’s purported appointment of Mr. Ravitch was unlawful because no provision of the Constitution or of any statute provides for the filling of the vacancy in the office of lieutenant governor other than by election." While the panel encouraged that Paterson take the fight all the way to the Court of Appeals, the Daily News says that is not likely since that court consists mostly of Pataki appointees. more ›

With the legal battle over the constitutionality of Richard Ravitch's appointment as lieutenant governor heading back into a Brookly court tomorrow, Governor Paterson has filed papers stating just how essential it is to have Ravitch around as all of this is being decided. Paterson says that Ravitch is "needed as a 'credible bridge' to business and labor." He also filed an affidavit from former governor Hugh Carey, who supported the choice of Ravitch as "a stellar and dedicated public servant." PolitickerNY sums up Paterson's position: "The crux of it is: You should uphold Richard Ravitch's appointment because Richard Ravitch is great." Senate Republicans have said that nothing Paterson has put forth addresses his constitutionality in making the appointment, something that has been criticized by everyone from Andrew Cuomo to Donald Trump. After getting secretly sworn in at Peter Luger's, state courts have gone back and forth as to whether Ravitch can stick around. more ›

The day after a State Supreme Court justice issued an injunction to block Governor Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor, an Appellate judge lifted the injunction. Paterson's office issued a statement saying, "We remain confident that the courts ultimately will confirm that Gov. Paterson’s appointment of Lieutenant Gov. Richard Ravitch was valid and legally correct," while State Senate minority leader Dean Skelos (R-Long Island) who filed the suit against the appointment said, "The Governor might have bought himself a little time by getting a judge to give him a temporary stay pending a full hearing next week, but like former Chief Judge Sol Wachtler, Lieutenant Gov. Stan Lundine and virtually every legal scholar of note, I believe the courts will agree that Gov. Paterson violated the state’s constitution by attempting to name his own lieutenant governor." Paterson has said if Ravitch's appointment is blocked, he'll introduce a bill allowing governors to appoint lieutenant governors. more ›

Guess being secretly sworn in at Peter Luger Steakhouse doesn't guarantee anything: A judge issued an injunction blocking Richard Ravitch from serving as lieutenant governor. Newsday reports, "State Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca said the injunction was needed to give the court time to hear more arguments about the constitutionality of Ravitch's appointment." LaMarca added, "Were the governor to die, resign, or be removed from office, Mr. Ravitch, if allowed to remain in office, is next in the line of succession...For an illegally appointed lieutenant governor to act as governor of the state would clearly constitute irreparable harm." more ›

Donald Trump had some choice words to say about newly appointed Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch. The Post prints some of a letter that the developer-bloviator sent to Governor Paterson; here's an excerpt: "His image as a 'Mr. Fix-It' is exactly that, an image... He is able to communicate well with reporters and the press, and his image has always been good and very clean despite his failures as a businessman and representative of state government... If you look at Mr. Ravitch's history with the unions, it will show one thing very clearly: that the unions will love having him at the helm because he will give them whatever they want, even though the deficit of New York has reached catastrophic levels." Trump adds that his dad worked with Ravitch, but "it became obvious to my father, Fred, that Dick Ravitch was very ineffective at getting the lowest price and overall best contract." Oh, and The Donald also blames Ravitch for the MLB strike in 1994 (Ravitch was lead negotiator). As for challenging Ravtich's appointment, that case will be heard on Wednesday. more ›

It's unclear whether Governor Paterson's appointment of Richard Ravitch will ever hold up as being legal, but at least the pair can rest knowing this—they pulled it off like pimps. Soon after Paterson went on television and made his announcement yesterday and before the GOP could mount a court challenge to block it (way back when they were allied with Sen. Pedro Espada), Ravitch was secretly sworn in while having dinner at Peter Luger Steak House in Williamsburg. When Ravitch's 7:45 reservation for four added a mysterious fifth person, the group explained what was going on and said they were in a hurry. The president of Peter Luger's told the Times, "They drew out some documents, and they were very excited and everything. Mr. Ravitch said, ‘This is my favorite restaurant, and I wouldn’t take the oath of office anywhere else.’ People around them were trying to figure out what was going on.” While there's no word on what Ravitch ordered, he did pose for a picture as he signed his oath, hopefully with the blood of an $85 steak. more ›

Just as we were getting used to the idea of a "Lieutenant Governor Richard Ravitch"—secretly sworn in by Governor Paterson last night—now here's another curveball for New Yorkers: State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. tells the Post he's leaving the Republican coalition and will rejoin the Democrats! He said, "I'm going to tell (Republican leader Sen.) Dean Skelos that I have a handshake agreement with (Democratic leader Sen.) John Sampson to become the majority leader." Keep in mind that Espada and fellow Democrat Hiram Monserrate's alignment with Republicans help send the State Senate down this rabbit hole. more ›

While Governor Paterson may have appointed Richard Ravitch as his lieutenant governor, Senate Republicans are stopping that, by way of a court order signed at 12:23 a.m. "after a petition from the leaders of the Republican-dominated State Senate coalition, Pedro Espada Jr. and Dean Skelos," PolitickerNY reports. A hearing will be held in Mineola, NY tomorrow, because Skelos sought the order in his home county. Skelos, who would be majority leader if the Republicans do control the Senate, said of Ravitch's appointment, "I think it's a publicity stunt and totally illegal." Ravitch, the former head of the MTA, was sworn in at 8 p.m. last night, just three hours after Paterson's announcement. more ›

In a few minutes, Governor Paterson will speak to New Yorkers about the State Senate stalemate—and many believe he'll appoint a lieutenant governor! While some speculation was that he would pick Denise O'Donnell, the former Buffalo U.S. attorney and currently Paterson's criminal justice coordinator, and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, NY1 and the Daily News report the LG will be Richard Ravitch, who formulated recommendations for the recent MTA bailout. 5:01 p.m.: Paterson speaks about the embarrassing situation of the State Senate stalemate, listing the problems it's caused (NYC's hiring freeze, Yonkers' budget problem). He acknowledges the problems lie beyond the Senate—they are with the economy—but emphasizes the Legislature needs to pass bills and how there is no presiding officer in the Senate, especially how there is no successor for him. Paterson says the State Constitution gives him explicit power to appoint a vacant LG. "I have selected Richard Ravitch...to serve with me through 2010. He will not be a candidate thereafter." He adds, "If there's legal action"—hello, AG Cuomo— he wants it done expeditiously. He thinks this is the "right thing to do—we cannot allow for any further exposure to risk during this time of economic uncertainty." more ›

Governor Paterson has planned a 5:01 p.m. TV appearance, to speak to New Yorkers about the State Senate stalemate. And the rumor is that he might very well appoint a Lieutenant Governor—the Times Union reports, "The governor's press office has assured broadcasters the event is newsworthy." The last time Paterson requested TV time was to discuss the sorry state of NY State finances a year ago. While some think that Paterson will just criticize the State Senate some more, PolitickerNY hears that the a lieutenant governor pick is a consideration, leading a Democrat to say, "Doing this means going to war with Andrew [Cuomo]. [Paterson]'s got to know that." According to WCBS 2, names being floated for LG are "Denise O'Donnell, the former Buffalo U.S. attorney who is currently Paterson's criminal justice coordinator; Former Court of Appeals Chief Judge Judith Kaye; and Secretary of State Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez." more ›

After it was suggested by a lawmaker and good government groups that he actually did have the power to appoint a lieutenant governor, Governor Paterson simply said, “I want to thank Assemblyman Gianaris, Citizens Union and Common Cause for working to try to find a way to break the impasse in the Senate. The issues they raised in their letter have been under review for some time by my Counsel. I look forward to working with these groups and others to find a way to end the stalemate and get the Senate back to work.” However, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said that Paterson actually can't appoint a LG to help break the State Senate stalemate! more ›

Now that the steamroller is flattened like a pancake, it's time to meet the soon-to-be new boss. Same as the old boss? Certainly not on the surface: Lieutenant Governor David A. Paterson (pictured being sworn in back in 2007) is a 53-year-old African-American who has been legally blind since infancy. more ›

The NY State Legislature has long been considered the most dysfunctional state government in the country, and NY Sun has a great article giving weight to that statement: "The Empire State's Legislature employs more people than any other state legislature in the nation." Well, all that dysfunction has to be enabled from someone - or many someones! more ›

All over the city, events were held to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy. One of the biggest events was the Reverend Al Sharpton's annual forum at his National Action Network in Harlem, which attracted Governor Spitzer, Senator Schumer, former Mayor Dinkins and Mayor Bloomberg. more ›

That just happened! Senator Barack Obama won the Democratic Iowa Caucus with at least 37% of the vote (projections are changing). Former Senator John Edwards got 30% of the vote while Senator Hillary Clinton got 29%. The media is playing this as a huge failure for the Senator from New York, given how powerful the Clinton machine has seemed. Also stunning: There were 82% more Democratic voters in this year's caucus compared with 2004, which pundits suggest means Iowa, which President Bush won in 2004, is certainly in play for the Democrats. more ›

Millions of people flocked to Eastern Parkway to celebrate the West Indian American Day Parade yesterday. This was the 40th year of the parade, which had floats, dancers, and bands interacting with the crowds. Many of the spectators wore or waved flags of native countries and enjoying delicious food. more ›

• Today on the Gothamist Newsmap: A hostage situation at Rockaway Boulevard and 147th Street in Queens, a train job at East 180 St in the Bronx and a pedestrian was struck at West 66th and Amsterdam in Manhattan
• The disgruntled former employee who shot and killed a former supervisors and injured two others at Co-op City is claiming self-defense.
• The Politicker finds out that Lieutenant Governor David Paterson supports non-citizen voting (but Paterson is quick to point out he didn't speak to the Spitzer administration about his views)
• The city sold less Snapple, the official drink of the city, than projected because of too much vandalism at vending machines, which perhaps proves it really is a NYC drink.
• The driver of a Volvo died during an accident on the Staten Island Expressway this morning; a drunk driver who was driving on the wrong side of the road hit the Volvo and a Cadillac Escalade.
• The Bouwerie Lane Theatre will house a residence, a retailer on the bottom floor and perhaps a hotel, according to Lost City.
• How one Hollywood couple with child likes to personalize their hotel room whenever they vist NYC (last item).
• In addition to Oprah's Book Club, Jonathan Franzen also hates the Broadway adaptation of Spring Awakening.

After Attorney General Cuomo found that Governor Spitzer's staffers were using state police records to attack rival Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, everyone agrees on one thing: It's very bad for Governor Spitzer. more ›

With all that went down this week, we thought we thought we'd cheer everyone up by giving everyone a double dose of dogs. more ›

The controversial class trip to Cuba that public school students took with a teacher has a twist. NY Lieutenant Governor David Paterson actually called the Department of Education on behalf of the Beacon School to allow the DOE to authorize this year's class trip. Still, the DOE said no, and now the school, as well as officials, is left to explain how the trip still went forward. more ›

Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, visited New York City yesterday. While the showiest part of their night may have been the presentation of a Global Environmental Citizen Award to the Prince from the Harvard Medical School's Center for Health and the Global Environment, we bet the most fun was had during the couple's visit the the Harlem Children's Zone. The Harlem Children's Zone, which includes the Promise Academy and other services and programs for the community, welcomed the royals with demonstration of an after-school investment program for kids, rehearsal of a scene from "A Midsummer's Night Dream" and a basketball scrimmage. more ›