"It is now time for Albany to get back to work as the people of this state expect from us," he said.
Also Wednesday, the U.S. attorney for the southern district of New York, Michael J. Garcia, responded to speculation that Spitzer might have been trying to use his resignation as a bargaining chip with federal prosecutors. Garcia said in a statement: "There is no agreement between this office and Gov. Eliot Spitzer relating to his resignation or any other matter."
Paterson, unlike Spitzer, is known for a calm and collegial personal style. Spitzer's confrontational and often abrasive personality did not lend itself to political successes in Albany. Lawmakers and analysts expect that working across party lines will come more easily to Paterson, who forged relationships with many Republicans during his 20 years in the state Senate.
"Not only are there partisan fissures that slow things down in Albany, but there are institutional fissures as well," said Bruce F. Berg, chairman of the political science department at Fordham University.
Paterson "assumes this position under very difficult circumstances," Berg said. "While all this has been going on with the resignation, you've still got interest groups wandering around lobbying the statehouse and Legislature, seeking to get what they want, because this is budget time."
Paterson will also have to figure out what will become of Spitzer's proposals for campaign finance reform, for increases in lawmakers' pay and to redraw legislative districts, among others.
State Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno, who had clashed repeatedly with Spitzer, said there was a "sigh of relief" in Albany on Wednesday. The scandal had consumed legislators, and Bruno said they must now get back to work on state business and focus on fiscal challenges.
Bruno, a Republican, said he had a good relationship with Paterson and expected to work well with him. Bruno will assume the responsibilities and duties of the lieutenant governor, which include taking over if the governor becomes incapacitated or is out of the state.
"There's mutual respect," Bruno said of Paterson. "He's an experienced individual, fairly liberal but the kind of person you can sit with and talk things through."
New York Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a Democrat, told reporters Wednesday in Albany that Paterson comes from the Legislature and understands it well. "I don't think he needs an orientation in terms of that," Silver said. "He can hit the ground running on Monday."
