Governor visits Watertown Times

While Gov. David A. Paterson visited Central New York and the north country today to announce Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund awards, he found time to stop into the Watertown Daily Times for a little lunch.

I wasn't invited, but I managed to chat with Morgan Hook, the governor's deputy press secretary, about the military ballot issue. As we've reported, the 23rd Congressional District's 11 county boards of election had to send absentee ballots to military voters without the Congressional race included. Here's why.

Mr. Hook told us about the governor's push to extend the deadline for accepting military ballots during the 20th Congressional District race - something that's also going to be in play during our election. And the spokesman discussed what the governor might do to fix this situation permanently.

I thank Morgan for giving me some time Tuesday, and apologize for shooting him in a way that looks like he's in a pathology ward, and not say something more akin to a conference room.