Or, hell, maybe it will. If it does happen today, if New York Governor David Paterson resigns his office, leading to a ridiculous political crisis when various asshole State Senators challenge the legitimacy of Lt. Governor Richard Ravitch (which will happen!), then look for it to be announced this evening at like 5:30 pm. (Though—who will even announce it? Paterson has no communications director!)

But: Al Sharpton and other black elected officials are taking the let's wait for the investigation to play out line, which gives Paterson a bit of cover as he decides what to do. And hey, a small plurality of New Yorkers still want Paterson to finish his term. That's a mandate!

And also Bill Clinton has an opinion about things.

So David Paterson's "likely" primary opponent, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, will now investigate the governor for using his phalanx of State Police to harass a lady who was beaten up by Paterson's top aide. Al Sharpton has called an emergency black elected official meeting. Paterson is not invited. Paterson's longtime ally Steve Israel has said, on the record, that Paterson should not seek reelection. Bill Perkins says he needs to end the campaign.

Paterson's Public Safety commissioner, Denise O'Donnell, has resigned, because of this scandal. (She's a Spitzer holdover who is seeking higher office, too.)

She says:

"The fact that the Governor and members of the State Police have acknowledged direct contact with a woman who had filed for an order of protection against a senior member of the Governor's staff is a very serious matter," O'Donnell said in a press release. "These actions are unacceptable regardless of their intent."

"It is particularly distressing that this could happen in an Administration that prides itself on its record of combating domestic violence. The behavior alleged here is the antithesis of what many of us have spent our entire careers working to build - a legal system that protects victims of domestic violence and brings offenders to justice."

So, yeah, that's it for the Paterson administration.

This is the point where the Democratic party stops allowing Paterson to hold his little face-saving reelection campaign, and they start actually applying pressure on him to announce that he's going to step aside for Andrew Cuomo.

And the Times! They handled this like a media assassin. It wasn't one bombshell story, it was the drip-drip-drip of three separate, increasingly damning stories. Honestly? The first one was so vague and stupid that it should not have even been published, but apparently it was this story's teaser trailer, or something.

Initially, Paterson's media strategy was either insane, brilliant, or both: play up your complaints about the salacious rumors so much that the actual story looks like small potatoes. Sharpton was defending the Governor from scurrilous rumor-mongers, and the governor was actually beginning to look sympathetic.

But the Times basically just killed him. The only person willing to stand behind him, at the moment, is Archbishop Timothy Dolan... which is odd!

There might've been a way to deal with this, but having Andrew Cuomo investigate was not that way—because now it's "what did the governor know and when did he know it." In an attempt to demonstrate that he had nothing to hide, Paterson just guaranteed fresh tidbits of information on the investigation in each morning's tabloids.

If only this had been about sex and drugs! That's not even a resignable offense anymore. Using the State Police to intimidate victims of domestic violence, though...

Farewell, Accidental Governor Paterson. Whether he's allowed to finish out his accidental term with whatever dignity he has left or if he'll have to resign depends on the contents of the next Times story. (You know it's coming.)

Update: This could be nothing, or it could be a sign of big weirdness to come. Josh Robin says "top Paterson aides and advisors do not know where he is right now, and haven't been able to reach him." Is he on the Appalachian trail? Locked in his bathroom? Who knows!
Update 2: Looks like someone spoke to the governor, and he is, vaguely, "in NYC."

This is literally an actual sentence from a major daily newspaper's interview with a senate candidate:

The interview - granted under the condition that the questions be limited to his rationale for running, and not issues - comes at the end of a rocky first week of buzz surrounding his potential candidacy.

Huh. Right. That makes sense. Anyway, his rationale for running is that he loves the smell of New York.

Then Ford totally doubles down on the "pedicures" thing. They are not just a frilly girly thing, they are medically necessary pedicures, for his Athlete's Foot! That is the sort of thing Real New Yorkers get, right? Anyone?

The interview took place at a Harlem IHOP—apparently Ford is improving at this "optics" thing every day. In the space of a week he's gone from the Waverly Inn to Sylvia's to an actual crappy chain restaurant in a black neighborhood. Harold "worked the room," but apparently no one present watches Morning Joe, because they didn't seem to know exactly who he was.

(Ford's MLK Day party with Al Sharpton and Kirsten Gillibrand was also apparently awkward, ending with The Reverend Al telling Ford to "get in the damn car" as they left.)

[Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images]

We have updated our Harold Ford Campaign Map to reflect recent appearances. If you have seen Harold at a local eatery, bar, lounge, or club, please let us know.

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