The polls say most New Yorkers (myself included) weren't particularly pleased when the president stuck his nose into state politics and urged Gov. Paterson to bow out of his unlikely bid for reelection. That doesn't mean the advice was bad - Paterson has near rock-bottom approval ratings, after all. And he's earned them.

Yes, the accidental governor fell victim to a tanking economy, which led to unpopular decisions and unhappy residents. But he also bungled the U.S. Senate appointment episode. And, although he had little leverage, Paterson didn't emerge unscathed from the state Senate coup debacle and the subsequent paralysis of the Legislature. The words small and weak come to mind.

In other words, Paterson has largely made his own bed when it comes to his political future.

Paterson suggested on "Meet the Press" Sunday that he's not unaware of his standing. But he's not willing to throw in the towel ... yet.

New York Daily News columnist Bill Hammond nicely summarizes Paterson's circumstances here.