Pataki is AWOL--and no one really cares!

[BurtWorm]

Except Eric Boehlert, who wonders why the media aren't paying attention. It is kind of weird, when you think about it. I assumed Pataki was out of the hospital by now. I was amazed to learn he's still in. As Boehlert says, it's difficult to imagine New Yorkers tuning out something like this befalling Mario Cuomo when he was in office, or Michael Bloomberg, for that matter. Weird!


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eric-boehlert/gop-gov-and-white-house-_b_16675.html

Eric Boehlert Eric Boehlert
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03.03.2006
GOP Gov. and White House Hopeful Goes AWOL; Press Yawns (1 comments )
READ MORE: 2006, New York Times, 2008, George W. Bush

Last month Gov. George Pataki, who is winding up his third term at the helm of New York state and busy positioning himself for a White House run in 2008, checked himself into a local hospital after complaining about abdominal pain. Later that day doctors announced they had removed Pataki's appendix and that the governor would be allowed to leave the hospital in a day or two.
Pataki's wife assured the press, ''He's doing absolutely great,'' and his flak echoed that spin: ''Doctors have indicated that the surgery was performed as expected without incident.'' The thumbs-up talk was key since Pataki's unscheduled hospital visit came during the state's annually bruising budget negotiations, as well as against the backdrop of president Bush's port security controversy, where New York stands as a key player. Not to mention the fact Pataki had to cancel a speaking gig in New Hampshire.

Problem is that was more than 14 days ago. Since the initial operation Pataki's health has continued to falter, he's been shipped off to another hospital and had to undergo a second surgery to try to unclog his digestive track and clean up internal infections. For now, New Yorkers have no clue when their governor will return to office, in part because during Pataki's never-ending, Ground Hog Day hospital stay aides have given out very little useful information about the governor's health. In fact, they obviously concealed what was really going on in order to protect their boss. Yet to date, the press corps, while dutifully covering the story, has shown little enthusiasm or initiative. Instead, most New York news outlets have simply aired or published daily, 'He's-up-and-around' updates that read more like Pataki staff hand-outs.

[Canuckistanian]

1. "GOP Gov. and White House Hopeful Goes AWOL; Press Yawns", LOL

Aren't New Yorkers talking?

[BurtWorm]

4. None of the New Yorkers I know have been talking about it.

There's no reason to miss him really. He's been an absent sort of governor for quite a while anyway, as though he hasn't wanted to make a move to indicate what he really believes in. I don't know why anyone thinks he'd be a strong candidate for president. He's a cipher.

[salvorhardin]

2. That's odd

Northeast Public Radio (WAMC Albany) has been covering it, including the lies about how Pataki was doing great and his declining medical condition.

[Stephanie]

3. Oh no, they've been reporting it on NPR. He's in for three more weeks.

Sounds like he had surgery at the small town hospital and developed infection and they had to move him to NYC and then he had another surgery. Hospitals are scary.

[BurtWorm]

5. What's the condition?

It must be worse than an infection. Do people have surgeries for infections?

[salvorhardin]

6. He gave a brief press conference today...

http://wcbstv.com/topstories/local_story_059142141.html
Video at that link.

The governor, who has been hospitalized for over a week after suffering a burst appendix and additional complications, said he was "chomping at the bit" to return home and was feeling better. He said he was eagerly awaiting his release so he could eat some pizza and drink a beer.

"I've seen the press reports and heard the concerns of New Yorkers," he said. "Everyday I'm feeling a little bit better."

Doctors who treated Pataki at New York Presbyterian Hospital said the 60-year-old governor was admitted Feb. 21 with peritonitis, abdominal abcesses and fever, five days after his appendix removed.

Peritonitis is a non-specific term for an inflammation of the intestines that can be mild or severe and can lead to a blockage, said Mauritzio Miglietta, chief of surgical critical care at New York University Medical Center, who did not treat Pataki.

Pataki's press office had said he underwent a second surgery for an intestinal blockage, but did not say at first that it was caused by an infection.

In healthy people, the condition is not life threatening, Miglietta said. The symptoms include obstruction of the intestines and ileus and can resolve themselves with antibiotics. He said the recovery time for peritonitis can range from one to several weeks.

I read that HuffPo blogger and the piece was rather sensationalistic.

[Stephanie]

7. emergency apendectomy led to complications

moved to the city and then second surgery for bowel obstruction and his system still does not function normally - can't eat