HE'S BAAACK

GIULIANI WEIGHING 'SPECIAL' RUN FOR GOV
By MAGGIE HABERMAN

March 28, 2008 -- In the latest twist in New York politics, Rudy Giuliani is eyeing a run for governor in a special election this fall should Gov. Paterson be forced to resign, sources say.
A top adviser to the former mayor, who pulled the plug on his presidential bid in January, yesterday dangled the possibility of Giuliani's running in a special election.
It would happen in a year in which presidential nominee John McCain would be at the top of the GOP ticket.

The Post reported this week that state lawmakers started researching the line of succession after Paterson's first week in office was spent responding to questions about extramarital affairs and the questionable use of campaign funds.
If Paterson resigns before August, a special election would have to be held in November.
New York's new governor has spent his brief time in office dropping one bombshell announcement after another. He admitted that both he and his wife had affairs during a rough patch in their marriage and that he abused drugs decades ago.

It appears, however, that those disclosures have raised little outrage, either from the public or his colleagues in Albany. If anything, coming on the heels of Eliot Spitzer's sex-scandal resignation, Paterson's candor has prompted questions among Albany insiders as to whether he may face further troubles.
He added this week that he was done talking about his personal life.
maggie.haberman@nypost.com