SARANAC LAKE—David Paterson said this is the lesson from Bill Owens’ win last night: Democrats can win anything.
“I thought it demonstrates a new way that the entire state is looking at candidates, and that the Democratic Party is demonstrating the type of responsibility I think both parties aspire to, but right now I think the victor of Bill Owens and the victory of Scott Murphy in the 20th District earlier this year, and even going back a couple of years to the State Senate victory of Darrel Aubertine. These are districts that no one has ever won: There’s no seat safe,” Paterson told Susan Arbetter on The Capitol Pressroom.
Arbetter then asked Paterson if the election results–including the defeat of Andrew Spano in Westchester County and the loss of the Nassau County legislature–were in any way a referendum on his leadership.
“This whole idea of lowering taxes that magically reignites the engine of an economy is wrong,” Paterson replied.
And the Republican wave that Rick Lazio, Paterson’s only declared opponent for the governorship talked about?
“I think what is having a resurgence in New York is that you can’t spend money that you don’t have, and that we are going to have to cut our spending, and I think the Republican Party has been a champion for a number of years,” he replied.