David Paterson's scandal: 3 theories

Political insiders are buzzing about an upcoming New York Times article expected to contain scandalous revelations that could force New York's Gov. David Paterson to resign. A Paterson spokesperson says there's "zero truth" to the rumors, adding that the governor has no intention of stepping down. But speculation about the content of the Times' story is rampant. Here, the top three theories:

1. The Times will report a sex scandal: A New York Post gossip column recently reported that a state trooper abruptly discovered Paterson embracing a woman, not his wife, inside a closet at the governor's mansion. Though Paterson's office has denied that story, new "witness" reports of Paterson nuzzling a woman in a restaurant have surfaced.

"Shock for Gov. Paterson's mansion cop"

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2. The Times' article will catalog a range of Paterson's failings: The article may be nothing more than an in-depth profile, says New York magazine. It could review "the Aqueduct casino conflict, or Paterson's general incompetence and sloppy, lean-on-others governing style." In this scenario, the piece won't break news of marital infidelities on the scale of the prostitution scandal that brought down Paterson's predecessor, Eliot Spitzer. "The [Times'] piece is PG-13, not XXX," a source close to the Paterson camp told New York magazine.

"It's Monday, and David Paterson is still governor"

3. Whatever the Times is about to report, Paterson is being prematurely "slimed": News is becoming sleazy "infotainment," says Gary Burns in Buffalo Business First. The blogs and newspapers speculating about this Times' story — sex? drugs? gambling? — don't seem to care that none of the rumors have been substantiated. Spitzer resigned amid a spectacular sex scandal, and the sleaze-mongers just want more of the same.

"Is Gov. Paterson being slimed?"

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