All rumors as of now, but the sources are important. The Huffington Post, Albany Times-Union, New York Magazine, NY Daily News, etc.. We’re not talking an obscure Daily Kos diary — or my site for that matter — here. The rumors appear to be coming from people in the know.

The last few weeks have brought two major eruptions of rumors concerning Paterson’s private life: reports of nuzzling at a New Jersey restaurant and being caught in semi-flagrante in a utility closet in the Governor’s Mansion — stories that Paterson and his press office have vehemently denied.

According to sources who have actually been interviewed for the Times’ story, its central narrative is the role played by members of Paterson’s inner circle in his personal and political activities.

Rumors about a possibly publication date for the story have ranged from Monday to today; the latest suggests Sunday, but it’s hard to believe that the Times would hold the story much longer when knowledge that it’s pending has put every other reporter in the Capitol and elsewhere on the scent. Possible reasons for delay include editorial fine-tuning and thorough legal review.

Not that any of this really matters. Patterson’s approval rating can’t go much lower and, if he runs again, he’s about to get beaten by Andrew Cuomo in the primary. Still, a fitting political end for the guy who replaced Elliot Spitzer.