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A modest proposal: Spitzer for Senate?I like Alex Navarro-McKay's speculative list of replacements for Hillary, and particularly his Adolfo Carrion float, though I think I'd put Andrew Cuomo on top of it. But I've been getting some abuse today for another name I floated over at Politico today, and wanted to explain why Eliot Spitzer (!) should be seen as the dark horse here. This was not, I admit, my idea; it came from a well-known municipal troublemaker whose identity some will guess when they think about it. And I told him that it's crazy. And Spitzer doesn't seem to see himself as a candidate for anything. "[M]istakes I made in my private life now prevent me from participating in these issues as I have in the past," he writes in tomorrow's Washington Post But let me make the case: -Paterson owes him. Spitzer went with his gut and surprised the state by offering him the Lieutenant Governorship. Then he got caught paying a prostitute and made Paterson governor. -He's the original Wall Street reformer. His attacks on the finance and insurancies now look prescient. Now, nobody thinks AIG was taking acceptable risks. And Spitzer has thought for a long time, both in detail and in broad terms, about how to reform the Street. -He's off the hook. No indictment. -Political time moves faster now. That whole Spitzer scandal was a century ago. -Paterson's appointing himself, though tempting, is a bad idea. Well, Noam Scheiber's on board. And yes, there extremely good practical arguments against it. First of all, in a reasonable world, Paterson will have only one consideration: Who will help him most in 2010, which would probably translate into an ambassador either to white ethnic Dems or, maybe, to Hispanics. Spitzer, not so much.
But Paterson likes surprises, and he's got a forgiving temperament. So put Eliot on the list. It wasn't me
 He's my choice for SEC Chair.
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 I am not that "well-known municipal troublemaker" that
Ben Smith is alluding to in this coulumn. However I cannnot swear that it isn't Gatemouth. Always look out for the guy standing behind the curtain. LMAO.
Wasn't there some article a couple of months back about how Spitzer called Paterson (post-resignation) and berated him over the phone? I mean. Come on. If Spitzer's temperament and behavior didn't work for Governor, he wouldn't work in Washington. "Hey, Byrd, I'm a fucking steamroller." David's first step is to to choose someone who can win reelection, that's a function of fundraising, name ID and polling. The governor will also evaluate the message his hypothetical choice would send about HIM, and has to think about what works best for HIS politics. Not sure what Spitzer does for David politically, particularly since they will have limited ability to share funds, etc.
And we all know that memories are pretty short in politics. ...wouldn't sending Spitzer to a place where he is bottom man among 99 co-equals, who he will have to get along with in order to accomplish anything, finally be a way to ensure that he is punished for his crimes?
Spitzer will never be elected or appointed to any office as long as Patterson is in charge and even after that. He dug his grave and now needs to accept the consequences. Besides, can you see him giving a speech on the Senate floor or questioning someone? With his attitude?
No, Bennie, it is not " mistakes in my private life" which is preventing Eliot Spitzer from a future in public service, it is his use of the NY State police to spy on his political opponents and fabricate state records, his continued cover up of these crimes, his continued public lies about his actions, his stone-walling of the formal investigation and his illegally taking $9.5 M in illegal campaign contributions from his gangster father over three campaigns for public office that preclude his public service. The man is an arrogant, short-tempered, would-be dictator who lacks the judgement, integrity or temperment for public sevice. Roger Stone New York City Roger Stone is garbage as is your statement that "[Spitzer] is an arrogant, short-tempered, would-be dictator who lacks the judgement, integrity or temperment for public sevice." The fact is that Eliot Spitzer, for years, was one of the few people willing to examine the Ponzi Scheme's on Wall Street that the powerful and apparently legitimate criminal pillars of our society were running in what Paul Krugman has called "The Madoff Economy". In a perfect world, lightning would strike you dead or you would get run over by a bus on Madison Avenue. With all due respect sir, you are no Oscar Wilde, you are simply a Neocon Whore of the highest order who needs to be bitch slapped.When the second American revolution comes to America, may it appear on your doorstep first to expose you for criminal fraud that you are. Post new comment |
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