Eliot Spitzer's Mission Impossible

TIME:

Eliot Spitzer was his usual agitated self. It was a brisk Tuesday evening, and the former governor of New York was bundled in the back of a black sedan, speeding toward the Comedy Central studios for a taping of The Colbert Report. The night before, Colbert had basically swallowed then Senate hopeful Harold Ford Jr. whole, like a boa constrictor eating a hamster. Spitzer, who by his own description has "nothing left to lose," was hoping to avoid the same fate by coming up with a clever line.

Read the whole story: TIME

Comments

[bluejoni2525]

02:56 PM on 03/04/2010

Spitzer sure looks pretty good now !!!

[mtlstuart]

02:31 PM on 03/04/2010

Spitzer committed one of the worst non-violent crimes possible: He broke the laws he so strenuously enforced against others. He doesn't even have an excuse like Clinton/Bush/Obama did about using drugs while later prosecuting the drug war - "I was young, I made mistakes." Not so here. Eliot Spitzer was perfectly happy to rabidly enforce anti-prostitution laws against others, locking people up and ruining lives. Then he goes and does the EXACT SAME THING. And does he get prosecuted? No, of course not. It's absolutely disgusting. Politicians who break their own laws should go to jail, perhaps even for a longer than maximum sentence. He can share a cell with Mark Foley.

[robjh1]

02:15 PM on 03/04/2010

Well at least he owns up to it.

[jane8877]

02:15 PM on 03/04/2010

NY'er here that would vote for Spitzer in a NY minute.

[ManuOB1]

01:56 PM on 03/04/2010

Spitzer had a rep as AG for relentlessly prosecuting johns like himself. THAT'S why he has no future in NY politics.

[johnqsittinzen]

02:19 PM on 03/04/2010

Nonsense. It was his reputation for relentlessly investigating Wall Street that got him outed as a frequenter of high-end call girls. Yet, no charges brought. Why didn't they prosecute the former prosecutor? Because most of the Wall Street power brokers who hated this guy were frequenting the same high-end call girls (not to mention a judge or too.) Enough information was leaked to get Spitzer dethroned, but there would be no further prosecution because that would risk investigations that would get other, bigger fish caught in the net.

This was not an example of moral justice, it was a political stoning. The blood thirsty crowd gathers around to tsk-tsk and heave their high minded rocks at the bad man, while the ones who shouted "sinner" in the first place slink slowly away, picking pockets as they go.

The guy's got guts for not hiding in shame. He could walk away and make a nice living, but he's still showing up to fight the good fight, knowing full well there are still those wielding their moral projectiles.

I'd vote for the man.

[zenmonkman]

01:46 PM on 03/04/2010

Eliot could be a critical component in today's "bad boys on Wall Street" complexities. He needs to compare his social worth with individual discretion. Once this comparison is made there is no doubt that getting back in the game will prove worthwhile for all of us ... regardless of political tendency ... breaking the law benefits no one.

[maggiee]

01:45 PM on 03/04/2010

I live in New York. I'd vote for him again.

[dscape]

01:48 PM on 03/04/2010

So do I, and so would I.

[want2run527]

01:35 PM on 03/04/2010

Call me dense, but there is something endearing about a person who really seems to have learned his life lessons and regrets betraying not only his constituents and family, but himself as well. I am not one to give a whole lot of second chances but I think I would given him one. Not only does he seems to have deflated his ego but his talents should not be allowed to go to waste.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

01:20 PM on 03/04/2010

I can't begrudge a man a b### j## when WE'RE the ones getting F@#$ed !!!

[kurgen99]

01:14 PM on 03/04/2010

We need him. He needs to continue to suck it up, and carry on. He can still do good.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

01:19 PM on 03/04/2010

I thought he was the suckEE. ; - )

Sorry. Had to.

[Phxflyer]

01:01 PM on 03/04/2010

There are republican members of the U.S. Senate who are equally as guilty as Mr. Spitzer for the same offense. Unlike those republicans, Spitzer has a brilliant mind and a genuine desire for public service.

[Gayrove]

12:52 PM on 03/04/2010

The man has paid his dues.
Since when can't a man be rehabilitated?
There's nothing that's more lacking in our financial life than a great prosecutor.
Where're the mailers asking for contributions? They'll be the quickest, surest way fo showing the nay-sayers who the electorate would elect to anything.
It's not his moral failure that is keeping him back: it's the lobbyists, financiers, and military-industrialists that are determined to garrot him.
He's the living nightmare of every crooked politician in the country.

[radicalcentrist44]

12:51 PM on 03/04/2010

I think NY would elect him again and it would be a good idea.

[redsongia]

12:48 PM on 03/04/2010

Correct. He did used to stand for something.

Like everyone says, the dude is smart. He nailed that one.

[rzzza]

12:41 PM on 03/04/2010

this guy is brilliant, we need him back in a position of power & influence