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Eliot Spitzer Resigns

12 Mar 2008 11:44 am

"...atone for my private failings.."
"...remorse I feel will always be with me...."
"...to every New Yorker...to those who believed in what I stood for, I sincerely apologize..."
"...I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work..."
"...I am resigning from the office of governor...at Lt. Gov. Paterson's request, the resignation will be effective on Monday, March 17..."

:: Comments (6) ::

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Comments (6)

So Paterson will be sworn in while the St Patrick's Day parade is going on?

(Keep in mind that because the parade refuses any gay Irish organizations to march that many Dems boycott it, but in NYC the day is close to a holiday).

Posted by hopeless pedant | March 12, 2008 11:52 AM

Ambinder, I'm a fan of your blog, and even I don't think these sentence fragments are worthy of a posting.

Posted by by a fan | March 12, 2008 11:53 AM


How is it "private" failings when it directly involve a conflict of interest between his position as a prosecutor and governor that is responsible for enforcing the laws of NY State?

Why is the resignation effective Monday? What is he going to do in his final days?

Should we expect a whole bunch of pardons issued for pay?

Sick.

Posted by Amused. | March 12, 2008 11:55 AM

As someone who worked on Spitzer's campaign and worked briefly in his press office, I can say that stunned still doesn't fully express how I feel. I don't mind the occasional sexcapade in politics, and I don't think it should effect how effective a politician can be. However, when you campaign on reform, when you are a former prosecutor and Attorney General, when you have broken prostitution rings before, when you have attacked rivals for their private sex situations, you are not only held to a higher standard, but it's a bit repugnant to even think that Spitzer thought he could get away with it.

The only explanation I or anyone I have talked to is that he must have thought of these high priced prostitutes as a sort of rush - like a kleptomaniac who knows what they are doing is wrong but can't help it. Otherwise, Spitzer is just an idiot and didn't deserve to be in office anyway.

Posted by Josh | March 12, 2008 12:11 PM

It's effective St. Paddy's Day so he go straight to the pub for one last hurrah. Picture McSpitzer in a silly green hat, arm around pig-tailed, red-headed 22-year-old hooker.

Posted by T.K. | March 12, 2008 12:19 PM

It hardly seems a fall from grace when the man has never risen above the gutter. Good riddance.

Posted by Brandon Thornburg | March 13, 2008 12:12 AM