Andrew Cuomo called Representative Charlie Rangel last week assuring the dean of the New York Congressional delegation that he would not run against Governor David Paterson, according to Rangel.
"He told me in no uncertain terms that he did not want rumors to lead me to believe that he was not in complete support of the governor," Rangel told me in a phone interview just now.
Rangel said that full support for the governor seemed undercut by a report on this site in which Cuomo told Azi that "we're a party of primaries"
"I was really surprised to read something that everything is on the table or a primary is good for Democrats," said Rangel. "Because last week I got a surprise telephone call from him that was pretty lengthy in which he was giving me assurances that he would not be a candidate against the governor and that he was doing all that he could to support the governor."
Cuomo spokesman Alex Detrick emails the following statement in response:
"The Attorney General's discussion with Congressman Rangel was private but was consistent with what he has repeatedly said over the last six months, which is that his current plan is to run for re-election as Attorney General, and that next year is a political lifetime away."