While he didn't have a prime time speaking spot like Senator Hillary Clinton did, Governor David Paterson did get a chance to speak at the Democratic National Convention yesterday. It was only for 4 minutes at 5:50 p.m. (and his theme music was "New York, New York"), but he made the best of it, even joking during applause and chants of his name during his entrance, "Thank you, my time is up!"
The NY Times reports that though the Pepsi Center "was not even half full," the New York delegation turned out in force. Paterson, who memorized his speech, spoke about his blindness and the need to help disabled people with economic opportunities. He said, "Let's give [Republicans] four more months and then elect Barack Obama." Here's a transcript of his speech; video is after the jump.
Paterson has been stirring things up in Albany while he's in Denver. At an event for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, he thanked the Speaker for helping with budget cuts and said the Republican-controlled Senate blocked many cuts, leading State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to invoke the late Daniel Patrick Moynihan, "Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts." Paterson was also calling State Senate Minority Leader Malcolm Smith (D-Queens) "Majority Leader" in Denver.
