Pataki drew a contrast between Hevesi's admitted wrongdoing and the allegations currently swirling around the man standing behind him, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. "I've said time and again: I have confidence in Senator Bruno," the governor said. "I have confidence in the system... I expect come January 3, Senator Bruno will be the majority leader."

The vote of confidence is notable, in that the governor's initial statement about the case--"Hopefully, the senator has done everything right, and that will be what the conclusion is"--was read by some to be less-than-supportive. Obviously, everyone knows they're not horseback-riding buddies.

After the press conference was done, reporters descended on Bruno. He said of the hoopla about the FBI investigation into his business practices:

"This is more of a media event, and when I indicated we were being totally cooperative, and that there was an inquiry, and that I'm letting the Feds do their work, and they're diligent enough and I have been elected by the people, by my conference to govern. And I would appreciate the press, if they would just give me an opportunity, objectively, and fairly, to govern."

UPDATE: To be a bit more specific, the press conference had to do with Timothy's Law, which would require that insurance companies cover various serious mental illnesses, particularly in children. It's a shame that got overshadowed.

-- Azi Paybarah