ALBANY (AP) -- New York's latest attempt to avoid a fiscal crisis devolved today into Gov. David Paterson seeking emergency power to close a $3.2 billion deficit because lawmakers "are afraid" of special interests.

Senators promptly called him "King David" and a wannabe macho man.

In the end, the third week of an extraordinary session that was supposed to address the deficit ended with no action in the Legislature. Lawmakers then went home for Thanksgiving.

Paterson's call for emergency power was directed primarily at the Senate's Democratic majority, with whom the Democratic governor has been in sharpest conflict over the deficit plan.

Soon after, the Senate flatly rejected the request to let him make spending cuts without their approval, saying it would be a dangerous precedent and possibly unconstitutional.

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