December 15, 2008

Gov. David Paterson and the National Federation for the Blind lambasted a Saturday Night Live skit that ran over the weekend, in which the New York governor -- who is legally blind -- was depicted as confused and incompetent.

"I can certainly take a joke," Paterson told a local television station. "The idea that disability goes hand-in-hand with inability to actually be effective or to run a state or run a business -- I think it's a very negative classification." Paterson spokesman Errol Cockfield sent a statement Monday to FOXNews.com, criticizing the skit as a tasteless joke that sought to mock people with physical disabilities.

"The governor engages in humor all the time, and he can certainly take a joke. However, this particular Saturday Night Live skit unfortunately chose to ridicule people with physical disabilities and imply that disabled people are incapable of having jobs with serious responsibilities," Cockfield said. "The governor is sure that Saturday Night Live with all of its talent can find a way to be funny without being offensive. Knowing the governor, he might even have some suggestions himself," he said.

The skit -- which aired on Saturday -- featured SNL actor Fred Armisen as Paterson, who is faced with the task of appointing someone to replace Sen. Hillary Clinton. Armisen said he was looking for three characteristics in candidates for the job: economic experience, upstate influence and someone who is disabled and unprepared for the job -- like himself. The actor then held up a chart illustrating the state's job losses upside down.