PLATTSBURGH -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said he is concerned about New York state in the wake of the recent gubernatorial shakeup but believes it will all work out.

"I like David Paterson. I think he is a smart guy and he will try to bring people together," Schumer said during a Plattsburgh visit.

"I urged him to come up here. I told him the best thing he can do to assure the people is to be there, and he will be."

Schumer said he was very surprised to hear about former Gov. Eliot Spitzer's troubles with prostitution.

"I was at a press conference in Westchester County, and my Blackberry went off, and it said that Eliot Spitzer was involved in a prostitution ring, and I thought that he was going after prostitution as his next crusade," Schumer recalled.

"Then all the other politicians must have gotten more news on their Blackberries because they all ran away."

Schumer covered a wide variety of topics during a one-hour visit with the Press-Republican Editorial Board this week.

Here are some of his thoughts on the issues:

BORDER SECURITY

On border security, Schumer makes it clear that he is not a fan of Department of Homeland Security Director Michael Chertoff and his efforts to require passports for travel between the United States and Canada.

"He is not doing a very good job," Schumer said.

Schumer is pushing to delay the passport requirement until 2009.

"He's (Chertoff) going to have to back off on this."

Schumer said that enhanced, uniform driver's licenses would be a better requirement.

CLINTON VS. OBAMA