Richard Holbrooke’s last words to his Pakistani surgeon: You’ve got to stop this war in Afghanistan.

Matt Bai details the difference between third party candidacies and independent candidacies, and says Mike Bloomberg “brought star power” to the No Labels conference.

New York is about to become a testing ground for gay rights as well-funded gay rights groups will seek to make support for same-sex marriage as mandatory in blue America as allegiance to the Second Amendment is in red America – and to make opposition just as politically suicidal, Ben Smith reports.

President Obama’s approval rating has fallen to its lowest point ever in New York.

Shael Polakow-Suransky, the state appointed number 2 at the Dept. of Education, is a big believer in testing.

David Paterson signed strict new penalties into law for employers who pay below minimum wage, fail to pay overtime or garnish employee’s wages.

Tom DiNapoli is shaking up the staff at the comptroller’s office.

Paterson’s wife Michelle Paterson bikes to work most days, and no one bothers her: “I find that no one knows who I am.”

The governor vetoed a bill that would have required him and future governors to donate their papers to the state archive.

Asked what he would rather be than Suffolk County executive, Steve Levy said, “Be governor.”

Christine Quinn says no way to Wal-Mart.

Vincent Ignizio urged the city council to say no to the FDNY’s “accident tax.”

More than two-thirds of New York City’s public school students will begin getting more nutritious free or low-cost school lunches under First Lady Michelle Obama’s pet project to get kids to eat well and exercise.

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