How many people would you say actually gave two seconds thought to Spitzer's running mate?

Good point, Amanda, probably not many at all. But I do think people had a sense of what types of economic and fiscal approach they expected to see pursued over the next four years.

Good point, Amanda, probably very few. But I do think people had a sense of what sort of economic and fiscal approach they expected to see pursued over the next four years.

You're quote mining. The full context of your first quote is, "Wall Street has 'bailed us out for a number of years,' the governor said, but 'now the well has run dry.'"

In other words, Paterson is saying that the state budget crisis comes from lower revenues in the finance sector, which is correct. He's not saying it in support of Wall Street; he's simply diagnosing the problem.

Also, the same article says, "While he avoided proposing across-the-board tax increases, the governor said he wanted to raise taxes on health insurers." So Paterson is proposing a tax increase, on one of the least socially responsible industries in the state.

Alon,
I believe I characterized the governor's statement fairly, in addition to linking to a somewhat longer quotation. When a sector of the economy provides a large portion of state revenue, this is not equivalent to bailing the public out. By choosing to frame Wall St paying its legitimate share (arguably less) of taxes as a "bailout" of the public, Paterson is indeed adopting a particular conservative interpretation of the state's fiscal history, which was my point in highlighting this quotation.

It would be great if health insurers were required to contribute more to the state, as their profits in New York have been astronomical. Unfortunately, I have seen little that would prevent insurers from passing tax increases along to consumers rather than bearing the responsibility themselves.