By Heather Grossmann
DNAinfo News Editor
MANHATTAN — The New York Times had a second go at Gov. David Paterson on the front page this week, publishing a profile on Friday that portrayed the governor as "increasingly remote" and raised questions about his leadership capabilities.
The story comes after an article earlier in the week that examined the rise of Paterson intern-turned-advisor David Johnson, a disappointment to many media watchers after rumors swirled that the Times was cooking up a scandal-laden piece involving drugs and women.
Long stretches in the Hamptons as poll numbers nosedived, short days at the office and unaccounted for absences during times of crisis, like the Buffalo airliner crash disaster, typify Paterson's term, the Times reported.
On the eve of officially announcing his election run, the governor's camp was — once again — prepped for defense, releasing a statement on the article in the early hours of Friday morning.
"Despite a nasty and seemingly coordinated effort to attack the Governor based on nothing but rumor and innuendo, what we are left with is a profile of a sitting governor tackling historic challenges in a time of crisis for our State," Communications Director Peter Kauffmann said in the statement.
"When presented with a line of reporting calling into question his work ethic and dedication to his job, Governor Paterson invited the New York Times to have a reporter shadow him for 10 days to see first-hand the work he does on a daily basis. The Times refused the Governor's challenge," the statement continued.
The statement went on to refute point-by-point claims of Paterson's unexplained absences during the Buffalo crash and the crucial fight for the state's "Race to the Top" application for education funding.
Republican gubernatorial contender Rick Lazio jumped into the fray late Friday morning with a statement slamming the Times for their coverage of Paterson.
"It is clear from the story today and the media frenzy of the past few weeks that the New York Times is using its power and prestige to denigrate Governor Paterson and to advance the candidacy of Andrew Cuomo. This is appalling," Lazio said.
The Republican candidate's defense of Paterson could be a calculated political move — in a Feb. 3 poll pitting Lazio against the governor, Lazio gets 46 percent of the vote to Paterson's 43 percent. Lazio fares much worse against potential candidate Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, getting only 27 percent of the vote to Cuomo's 64 percent.
