New York Adult Entertainment: New York Gov. David Paterson quits race
Hammered by a widening scandal involving a top aide, Gov. David Paterson on Friday bowed to political pressure and abandoned his campaign for a full term as New York’s governor.
“I am being realistic about politics,” Paterson said during a news conference at his New York City office. “It hasn’t been the latest distraction … it’s been an accumulation of obstacles that have obfuscated me from bringing my message to the public.
“There are times in politics when you (need to) step back. And that moment has come for me.”
Paterson offered a full defense of his performance since taking office in March 2008 after the abrupt resignation of Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who was implicated in a prostitution scandal. But the Democratic governor has faced a wave of pressure since a scandal involving one of his closest aides, David Johnson, accelerated on Thursday.