Spitzer Sticks Up for Paterson

Burdened New York governor David Paterson received a potentially dubious boost on Thursday, when Eliot Spitzer, his predecessor who resigned because of a prostitution scandal, told an audience at Harvard University that he supports the current governor.

Spitzer, who stepped down last year after revelations that he paid for sex with prostitutes, spoke with the New York Daily News after he delivered a lecture on business ethics. The former governor and onetime state attorney general has dabbled in academia since leaving office in disgrace.

"David is a friend," Spitzer told the Daily News. "He is somebody I support."

Spitzer selected Paterson to be his running mate in 2006. Their Democratic ticket won overwhelmingly on a platform that included full support for marriage equality. When he resigned, then-lieutenant governor Paterson replaced him.

The ex-governor lauded Paterson for his decisions during a time of economic crisis and urged Democrats to rally around him. The White House reportedly wants Paterson not to run for election to a full term in 2010, given his low poll numbers.

"All Democrats in the state should support him," said Spitzer. "He is making tough decisions on the budget and the welter of issues that need to be confronted in a moment of economic crisis, and he is doing so thoughtfully."