Woe to the next leader of New York

And all leadership executives ought to pay heed to David Paterson’s warning: you’re in quicksand right now, and though you may move around a lot, it’s making matters worse. Great.

Though Paterson has his personal axe to grind, his warnings ought to be heeded.

“Mark my words, they are going to say it about the next governor. They’re going to try make the next governor’s personality, effectiveness or engagement—or where the next governor eats dinner—the issue.”

Mr. Paterson, whose administration has tried fruitlessly to pass a budget, accused lawmakers of using him as an excuse. “They have perpetuated this rumor that I’m waiting all year and don’t care,” he said. “Every week, I try to get them together and nobody wants to come. Then they turn around and actually try to pretend that it’s me who doesn’t want to have these meetings. It’s completely political.”

Democrats in Albany said they sympathized with Mr. Paterson—but only to an extent.

Is this the Wall Street Journal on New York politics, or an episode of The Sopranos? No joke…The difficulty in distinguishing is emblematic of our government in operation right now.

Just look at former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Or not….