N.Y. Governor Paterson Fires Back at Obama

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Tough Talk

New York Democratic Governor David Paterson is firing back at the Obama White House after reports the president does not want Paterson to run for election next year. The governor said: "They haven't exactly been able to govern in the first year of their administration the way other administrations have."

A Paterson aide is downplaying the remarks, saying the governor was not demeaning Obama's record.

Czars and Stripes

Another one of the president's "czars" is in hot water for past comments. Federal Communication Commission diversity "czar" Mark Lloyd is being criticized for saying that Venezuelan socialist President Hugo Chavez led an incredible and democratic revolution. Lloyd tells The Washington Times that his comment was misinterpreted.

Another remark raising eyebrows was Lloyd speaking about the need to remove white people from powerful positions in the media in order to give minorities a chance: "Unless we are conscious of the need to have more people of color, gays, other people in those positions, we will not change the problem. But we're in a position where you have to say who is going to step down so someone else can have power."

Big Foot

Activities at the United Nations this week -- including Tuesday's climate change conference -- are generating a large carbon footprint from international travel, lengthy motorcades and clogged streets.

The New York Times reports U.N. administrators are attempting to calculate the carbon dioxide produced by the delegates in order to buy carbon offsets: They estimate 461 tons of carbon dioxide, with air travel being the single largest component. However, that tally only includes emissions from one aide traveling with each world leader and not the dozens of staff who frequently make up each country's delegation.

One climate scientist points out that the value of carbon offsets -- a publicly traded commodity -- fell to 20 cents a metric ton late last week: Meaning 20 cents times 461 metric tons would equal spending $92 to offset their emissions.

— FOX News Channel's Lanna Brit contributed to this report.