Larry made the compelling anti-conspiracist case on the Spitzer story here.

But what of the following passage from the Times' public editor's column today?

The Times has published two differing accounts. The first said the investigation started with reports from a bank about suspicious transactions by Spitzer. The second said it started at the other end, with suspicious transactions involving shell companies set up by the prostitution ring. Federal officials acknowledged in The Times on Friday that it was a very rare kind of investigation. We still do not know who approved it, or why.

[Cross-posted from Politico.com]

One of the weirdest footnotes of the Eliot Spitzer scandal is that Spitzer antagonist Roger Stone -- the GOP trickster known, among other things, for an allegedly unorthodox sex life -- has been doing his best to take some ancillary credit for, or at least prior knowledge of, Spitzer's downfall.

A ... puzzling Miami Herald piece yesterday reported that Stone's lawyer produced a letter he claimed had been sent last November 19, in which Stone wrote that Spitzer ''used the services of high-priced call girls'' while in Florida, and didn't take off his socks. Stone said he'd learned this from a conversation with another high-end call girl.

SUNDAY WITH SCHUMER AND HIS "BRAIN" HANK MORRIS IN THE HAMPTONS

Hi Everyone

It is good to see that so many of you made it to my "BRAIN" Hank Morris home in the Hamptons. Now I know many of you have been busy covering Governor Spitzers adventures in Washington DC.

But today I want you to enjoy your selfs.

Take a few hours off, relax, here at Hanks modest Democratic home in the Hamptons.

I have ask my "BRAIN" Hank Morris to say a few words to you.

Hank go ahead.

First I want to say is that I earned all that money.

Second I to say is that Republicans like Jack "The Rat" Abramoff are the reason the economy is in trouble.

So can he survive this? How? And what are you hearing?

Also, incidentally, my 2006 David Paterson profile is here.