N.Y. Gov. Pataki extends hospital stay

NEW YORK (AP) -- Doctors said Saturday that Gov. George E. Pataki needs another day in the hospital to recover from an appendectomy, a spokesman said.
Pataki had been scheduled to leave Hudson Valley Medical Center on Saturday, but his doctor said he needed more time on intravenous antibiotics to prevent infection.
"It is not unusual. In fact it's quite normal, quite routine," said Pataki's spokesman, David Catalfamo.
Pataki was working from the hospital. Pataki's staff and emergency officials gave him a briefing about the damage caused by a winter storm that left hundreds of thousands of people without power.
Pataki checked himself into the hospital Thursday after experiencing abdominal pain. The illness forced Pataki, who is considering a 2008 presidential run, to cancel a political trip to New Hampshire, the site of the first presidential primary.
Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher, 53, was also hospitalized, recovering from gallbladder surgery Tuesday. Doctors said Friday he contracted a blood infection as he recovered from the surgery and will remain hospitalized for several more days.