Who is David Paterson?

The next Governor of New York (assuming, of course, that he doesn't turn out to be client 8). Here's the Times helpful people in the news section on New York's Lt. Gov.

Aside from being legally blind -- as opposed to the merely morally blind current occupant of the governor's mansion (Sophocles: call your office) -- he would also be the first black governor of New York State. Cool!

There's a delicious irony in the media coverage of Paterson to date. The overall narative seems to be one of bemused wonder...why would the promising State Senate minority leader Paterson give up his seemingly inevitable path to Senate majority leader (one of the "three men in a room") to become the Lt. Governor...a job with "no power and little prestige."

Seems like it was a good move.