Cuomo Seriously Weighing Bid for President, Aides Say : Politics: New York governor described as studying options. How to handle both his state duties and a campaign is called major problem.

In sharp contrast to his dismissive remarks just a dozen days ago, New York Gov. Mario M. Cuomo is seriously and methodically considering whether to seek the Democratic presidential nomination, his aides and advisers said.

Cuomo frequently has been publicly skeptical whether it would be possible to run for President and still be an effective governor. Now, Cuomo and his advisers have a number of scenarios under study, including having him remain as governor and entering a limited number of primaries, or resigning from office and running all out.

One of the factors in those deliberations is how a presidential campaign would be affected by a prospective bitter battle with local Republicans over the next New York state budget.

Speaking into a thicket of microphones Wednesday after ground-breaking ceremonies to improve Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, Cuomo told reporters the issue of whether he can remain in power in Albany and still run for President “is one of the questions we are looking at.”

He indicated that if he ran, he would enter the primaries to “prove yourself like everybody else,” and not simply await a draft from the party.

Cuomo has asked advisers to provide him with the filing dates for state primaries and caucuses.

“The big question remains. How do you run for President and still be governor?” New York State Democratic Chairman John Marino said Wednesday. “That is very, very tough.”

Cuomo’s opening the door to a candidacy has caused some Democratic fund-raisers and activists to reconsider before making commitments to other candidates.

“I think there has been a pause, a hesitation in the movement to choose up sides,” said Democratic strategist John Sasso, who in the past has advised Cuomo.

“Among people who do contribute, there is a certain amount of annoyance with him at this point,” said John Schmidt, a Chicaco lawyer who is directing Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton’s fund-raising efforts in Illinois.

Democrats in general are eager for Cuomo to reach a decision and end the speculation that has swirled around him for months. Democratic National Committee Chairman Ron Brown has stated his desire to have the Democratic field in place by Election Day this year, and Cuomo has promised to consult with Brown around that time.

Two New York Democratic congressmen, Thomas J. Downey and Charles E. Schumer, on Wednesday announced the formation of a draft Cuomo for President committee in Congress.

Downey told his colleagues in the House that he had urged Cuomo “with all my heart” to declare his candidacy.

Members of Schumer’s staff said that Democratic Reps. David R. Obey of Wisconsin and Sam Gejdenson of Connecticut are planning to make statements on the floor of the House today urging Cuomo to seek the White House.

“I think he would be a superb candidate,” Gejdenson said. “I think he would convey to the American people a strong sense of personal toughness, which is what they are looking for in a Democrat.”

Questioned by reporters, Cuomo discounted the notion of a draft Wednesday.

“I don’t think draft motions or the idea of a draft is a good idea,” he said.

But in contrast to previous draft attempts four years ago, the governor did not call upon his backers to cease and desist. And spokesmen for both Schumer and Downey said that the governor’s office had not called asking them to stop their current efforts.

Marino, in sentiments repeated by others who have been consulted recently by Cuomo, said a major task is reconciling the calendar of presidential primaries with New York state’s budget-making calendar.

Two critical time slots exist in the budgetary process, Marino said. One is January, when the governor has to prepare his budget proposals at a time when campaigning in Iowa, New Hampshire and other early primary and caucus states would be at a peak.

The other critical period is from late April to June, when Cuomo and the Legislature almost certainly will be fighting over the terms of the ultimate budget agreement. In between, Marino said, exists a window of about 10 weeks during which Cuomo would be relatively free to campaign. But it is unclear to Cuomo and his advisers whether that window would be wide enough to permit him to build a strong base of delegates for the nomination.

Marino said the window certainly would close in April when Cuomo will have to deal with the leaders of the Republican-controlled New York state Senate.

Marino and others who know the governor well discount the possibility that he would resign to seek the presidency. They point out that Cuomo would not only lose his power base but could be perceived as abandoning the state in a time of severe financial crisis.

In addition, friends point out that Cuomo is a child of the Great Depression to whom a certain measure of security and stability is very important. Resigning as governor could pose a psychic as well as political risk, these friends say.

Over the last dozen days, Cuomo has engaged in a continuing dialogue with reporters and supporters, making his thought processes somewhat public. But few supporters, if any, know what his intent is. In the end, he alone will make the decision whether to run.

“No one can do that for you,” Cuomo said Wednesday.

Times political writers Robert Shogan in Washington and Ronald Brownstein in Los Angeles contributed to this story.