Attorney General Andrew Cuomo and Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch had a “secret” meeting to discuss how things will proceed if/when Gov. Paterson resigns. The meeting was Ravitch’s idea, reports the Daily News, and took place at midtown Manhattan’s swanky Water Club. "It was not a briefing on the state of the investigation," said an anonymous source, reporting that Cuomo didn’t go into accusations that Paterson intervened in a domestic violence case involving his top aide. What they did talk about was the “process” of continuing governance, in the event that Paterson steps down.
The source said they also addressed the state’s budget, which Ravitch has been helping to write and Cuomo, who’s expected to run for the governorship, would take over if elected. "People have to get through the day, someone has to make the trains run on time-negotiate a budget," said the knowledgeable party.
Neither Cuomo nor Ravitch’s staff would comment on the meeting, but one Democrat (also anonymous) thought it was in poor taste. The situation is aggravated by the fact that a rivalry between Paterson and Ravitch has been brewing since last year. “Even if it was only for coffee or they just wanted to discuss the budget and nothing else, it definitely doesn't look good," the operative said. "I'm not sure what they were thinking when all of this other stuff is going on."
