Spin Cycle

Mr. Dicker of the NYPost reports that Paterson offered departing Senate Majority leader Bruno as job as a special advisor in his administration, but Bruno turned him down.

This is one of two stories over the weekend indicating that the Gov is not wildly enthusiastic about elevating fellow Democrat Malcolm Smith to the Senate leadership and giving Dems across the board control of NY state government.

Just as control is within reach, he hasn't been giving them much help.

There seem to be several strands. Some personal tension between Paterson and Smith. Some feeling that Smith's conference isn't ready to run things, and could create a mess. Some triangulation, in which Paterson is more comfortable as the bridge between Assembly Dems and Senate Republicans. Some concern that the Senate would line up with Sheldon Silver in the Assembly and pull Paterson to the left.

But if he ends up being perceived as a governor who cost Democrats their best chance in a generation to move a pure Democratic agenda forward... isn't that a little risky for guy who, after all, is in office by default, and never won a primary mandate from his party?

Update: Paterson, at a news conference this afternoon, denied that he offered Bruno a job, and denied any tension with Sen. Smith.