"Less than a week after declaring he would seek a full four-year term, New York Gov. David Paterson abruptly dropped his election bid Friday under pressure from fellow Democrats concerned about his faltering agenda and his handling of a domestic abuse case involving a trusted aide," reports the Associated Press. Paterson cited a litany of distractions that prompted him to end his campaign, but said he had never abused his office. "But I am being realistic about politics," he said. "It hasn't been the latest distraction. It's been an accumulation of obstacles that have obfuscated me from bringing my message to the public." READ MORE