Gov. Paterson Bucks Obama

President Barack Obama sent word that he would like embattled New York governor David Paterson to forego a run for reelection, but Paterson didn't blink. "I've said time and time again I am going to run for governor next year," Paterson said Sunday. "My plans have not changed." Paterson did not deny that an Obama official met with him last Monday and expressed concerns. “Is there concern about the situation in New York? Absolutely,” an Obama official told The New York Times. “Has that concern been conveyed to the governor? Yes.” The request is an extraordinary one from a sitting president for a member of his own party—particularly because Paterson is only one of two African-American governors in the country. The White House has become increasingly uncomfortable with Paterson, according to the Times, as it has watched him fumble the decision to fill Hillary Clinton’s Senate seat and then go on to declare that his low ratings are a product of racism.