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On last night’s program, Curtis Sliwa and Gerson Borrero weighed in on Governor David Paterson's selection for lieutenant governor. Watch the video above.

Tonight’s program includes: GOP political consultant Roger Stone.

Danny Hakim reports: “Gov. David A. Paterson named Richard Ravitch, a Democratic lawyer with a career in government dating back a half century, as the state’s lieutenant governor on Wednesday. Mr. Paterson said Mr. Ravitch, 76, would bring stability to the capital and help him end what he called the “crisis in governance” that for more than a month has paralyzed the Senate during its 31-to-31 split. The governor wants Mr. Ravitch to preside over the Senate, cast tie-breaking votes on leadership and other procedural votes and succeed him should Mr. Paterson be unable to serve.
Mr. Paterson’s move was intended to end the turmoil in the capital, but it seemed chiefly to intensify it, drawing threats of legal challenges even before the governor announced his decision on television at 5 p.m.”

Jeremy Peters profiles Ravitch, while the edit-heads opine: “We don’t know yet whether it was legal, but Gov. David Paterson of New York was right to take the plunge and name a lieutenant governor in an effort to break the increasingly damaging stalemate in Albany.”

New York Post

In a column, Fred Dicker reports: “Gov. Paterson yesterday put New York on a course to become a banana republic, with an unelected governor (himself), an unelected lieutenant governor (Richard Ravitch) and an unelected state comptroller (Tom DiNapoli), who, under pressure from Paterson, has refused to give elected senators their pay. Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez, c'mon up -- to Albany! Maybe now we know why Paterson flunked the bar exam after three years at Hofstra Law School.”

The edit-heads say that while they don’t know if the governor’s move is legal, they really like Ravitch.

New York Daily News

A News trio has the latest news about the Ravitch’s “secret oath” from this morning: “Republicans were quick to mount a legal challenge to Wednesday's appointment of Richard Ravitch as lieutenant governor - but apparently not quick enough. Ravitch was quietly sworn in about 8 p.m. Wednesday. The former Metropolitan Transit Authority boss was sworn in just hours after Gov. Paterson’s televised announcement, but before Republicans got a judge in Long Island to issue a temporary restraining order blocking Paterson from swearing Ravitch in.”

Jose Martinez notes: “Gov. Paterson may finally have a lieutenant governor by his side - but he may not have the law on his side, legal experts say.”

Columnist Bill Hammond writes: “Not that I'm complaining, but you have to wonder why a smart, distinguished, seemingly sane guy like Richard Ravitch would come anywhere near here these days. Ravitch is, by all accounts, a hell of a public servant. And hell is exactly what he's signing up for by accepting Gov. Paterson’s dubiously legal appointment as lieutenant governor.”

The edit-heads praise Paterson’s move: “This move is an all-around winner, and thank goodness Paterson had the guts to make it in the face of quibbling and questions about his legal authority. The benefits are manifold.”

Newsday

Dan Janison notes: “Trying to figure out Gov. David A. Paterson's end game has become an Albany pastime. But in this crisis it seems clear he is determined to push the monthlong, first-of-its-kind State Senate deadlock toward a resolution in court. And for his immediate purposes, winning or losing in court may even be beside the point, just so long as it gets decided.”

The edit-heads don’t like Paterson’s move: “Legally, the governor's move seems weak…Strategically, it may only further delay the negotiations between Senate factions, as they wait for a judge to rule on Ravitch's appointment…Politically, naming Ravitch is a losing proposition. No one disputes the man's intelligence or his skills as a negotiator. But as a city Democrat, Ravitch brings a Manhattan-centric worldview and adds partisanship to an already nasty brew.”

Until tomorrow.

Bob Hardt