Dick Ravitch, the man Governor Paterson appointed to be his lieutenant during the State Senate stalemate, has been blocked from getting confirmed by State Supreme Court Justice William LaMarca. The judge issued a temporary injunction because the plaintiff, Republican Senate leader Dean Skelos, had a strong case that Paterson wasn't legally allowed to appoint anyone to the job. The judge said that Senate President Malcolm Smith would be acting governor should anything happen to Paterson. [NYDN]