ALBANY — Gov. David Paterson says some state lawmakers are like Count Dracula, showing pleasant faces to lull citizen advocates, only to become bloodsuckers when the sun goes down.

Then the Democrat known for his use of humor backed off.

After making the comparison to a disabled rights group, he explained to reporters that he was trying to illustrate the frustration of having lawmakers seem sympathetic to a cause, but then taking no action after the advocates leave the Capitol.

“There were legislators who I used to think practiced their own versions of being Count Dracula — in that they were very nice to the advocates when they came to Albany,” Paterson said. “And then (the advocates) get back on the buses by four o’clock. By five o’clock, the sun would go down and they’d go back to being who they really are — a bunch of bloodsuckers.”

Paterson, who is legally blind, was urging the disabled rights advocates to keep pushing their case despite the frustrations.

“I didn’t say that my colleagues were bloodsuckers. I said that there were certain people who listen to advocates, and as soon as they left and it got dark, were acting in that way — like Count Dracula — because they really didn’t care,” Paterson said. “And (they) were not about to do anything about what the advocates were in Albany to try to persuade.”

Spokesmen from the state Senate and Assembly declined to comment on Paterson’s remarks.