New York Gov. David Paterson appeared on "Meet the Press" yesterday to respond to calls from Democrats, including the Obama administration, that he not run for reelection in 2010. Paterson assumed the governorship from Eliot Spitzer last year after a prostitute sex scandal, but now has lower poll numbers than Spitzer himself.

An awkward back-and-forth between the governor and David Gregory began when the host pushed Paterson to admit the White House had pressured him not to run. Paterson refused, saying, "There are people who've told me not to run. They're are a lot of people who've told -- have told me not to run." Gregory asked if the White House was among those people. "I don't know that," Paterson said. "You don't know?" Gregory asked incredulously. "Well, David, the White House has a country to run and I have a state to run. And there's politics that, that go on all the time. I'm blind, but I'm not oblivious."

But no matter who said what to whom in the past, Paterson declared, "I am running for governor."

Video below.