Our own DavidNYC chimes in with this excellent post over at the Political State Report.

The short of it is that NY attorney general (and apparent Pataki heir) will file an amicus brief supporting U Michigan's affirmative action policy. Spitzer (who's a rock star) claims he's representing the state's official position, though it's apparantly news to Pataki.

But this is where it gets interesting:

While Pataki has long bucked the national GOP - and assured his popularity with a broad cross-section of New Yorkers - with his left-leaning stands on a number of issues, he has generally staked out a fairly murky middle ground on affirmative action.

But fudging may no longer be possible ... Pataki has tacked rightward of late, a move which many say is motivated by his desire for national office (such as a cabinet post or possibly the VP spot should Dick Cheney not run again). There's a good chance Spitzer's amicus brief will force Pataki to more fully articulate his stance on affirmative action sometime soon. The Governor may continue to walk a moderate tightrope - and avoid a dust-up with Spitzer. But if he chooses to go toe-to-toe with Time Magazine's "Crusader of the Year" and support the President's brief in the UMich case, that's a definite signal that Pataki is trying to get on George Bush's short list for any job openings.