Former NY Governor Eliot Spitzer, who resigned in disgrace in 2008 after a prostitution scandal, is now running for the position of NYC Comptroller. As Business Insider points out, he’s since begun a huge national media tour and Thursday wasn’t an especially good day for Spitzer.
First Spitzer faced a grilling from CNN’s Jake Tapper, who repeatedly reminded the former Governor of his past misdeeds, including breaking the very law he [Spitzer] signed.
Spitzer tried desperately to talk his way around the inconvenient truths, but Tapper wasn’t really having any of it.
Surprisingly, Spitzer didn’t fare much better in a usually friendly environment like The Colbert Report, either.
Here’s how it opened right out the gate:
Colbert: “Eliot, Eliot, what is a comptroller? What does a comptroller do?”
Spitzer: “This is actually a hugely important position. You control or have a say in the investment of over $140 billion in pension dollars…you do the audits to determine that the tax dollars we spend are used for the purpose for which…you seem so intent on listening to this…”
Colbert: “Given a position of this responsibility, shouldn’t the job of comptroller go to someone who has shown a modicum of self-comptrol?”
And it closed like this:
After mentioning that Spitzer and Weiner are both polling well, and that Mark Sanford could potentially make a comeback, Colbert asks Spitzer: “Do you think that, uh, it seems, that voters are more forgiving than they used to be. Do you think that signals progress for our country, or the slow decay of our moral values?”
A stunned Spitzer could only respond with, “Wow.”
To which Colbert replied, “Oh yeah, this ain’t Charlie Rose, mother <expletive>.”
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Comments
No autoplay please!
What’s with the autoplay?
Just trying to annoy everyone, or just trying to make the page loading slower?
Neither! They are just trying to get you in trouble at work.
Hope like hell that NYC elects both Spitzer and Weiner. They deserve this kind of government. Spitzer might be the most arrogantly, raw politician US has ever seen. A son of privilege who uses, used or will use his position to punish others while doing whatever the hell he likes.
lack of class an No shame to be found = Spitzer & Weiner
BTW, I think you are wrong that it was a bad day. Spitzer has no skin, thick or otherwise and he knows that by subjecting himself to this constantly, it will turn for him in a positive way.
“Do you think that signals progress for our country, or the slow decay of our moral values?”
Neither, both and a bit more. It just goes to show what people really think of politicians.
My favorite definition:
Jeffrey Pelt: Listen, I’m a politician which means I’m a cheat and a liar, and when I’m not kissing babies I’m stealing their lollipops.
Spitzer and Weiner both fulfill the job description.
Spitzer like Elizabeth Warren and that guy Weiner are typical democrats with no shame. Any of us who might have intentionally and inadvertently committed the same sins would probably be ducking for cover.
Yet they get elected which just reflects the intellect of the average voter, not so good, eh?
Spitzer’s bad day is getting worse now that the New York Post has published hard evidence showing NY taxpayers footed the bill for Spitzer’s trip to D.C. to have sex with a prostitute. This was the missing evidence that kept Spitzer from having been charged in the Federal investigation from his Emperor’s Club VIP scandal. Will he carry out his first term as Comptroller from prison?
These 2 clowns are polling well . Lets leads me to believe NYC gets what they deserve !
He’s such a scumbag. I can’t believe people will actually vote for him. What in hell are they thinking. Goes for Weiner too.
Weiner, Spitzer, and Sanford all make my skin crawl.
BTW, since the worst thing any Republican at any level says or does is held to be representative of all Republicans, when will the media give the same treatment to that Democrat sick f*ck out in California who can’t keep his hands off the female help? Why aren’t Weiner and Spitzer (sounds like reindeer names) held up as ‘typical’ Democrats?
Rhetorical Switch OFF
Sarcasm Breaker OFF
I don’t see what the big deal is with Sanford. He didn’t break any laws, and if his girlfriend had been local nobody would ever have found out about it. If the voters want him back, so be it.
The thing about Weiner, though, is that policy-wise he seems like the least bad of the Democratic pack. I kind of like Thompson, but just going on positions he’s to Weiner’s left. He’s certainly better than Quinn. Not to mention Quinn’s questionable financial dealings.
And if Weiner and Spitzer are elected, it will be NYC thumbing its nose at Washington. “I’ll see your Marion Barry and raise you a Weiner and a Spitzer.”
Mr. Sanford lied about his whereabouts while he was governor. He was out of the country and had not let anyone know. Any CEO knows they have to delegate authority when they are away. He also was censured for misusing state travel funds in order to conduct his affair and for things such as flying in a state place to get a hair cut. His shocking disregard for his duties was “a big deal.”
In South Carolina, adultery is a crime with the possibility of imprisonment for a year.
Following his divorce, he entered his ex-wife’s home, while she was gone, and acted as if he was in his own home. This is trespassing and is illegal.
Lying to citizens is enough for me.
Interestingly, Spitzer considers himself a feminist: http://storify.com/msnbc/twitter-reacts-eliot-spitzer-says-i-m-a-feminist
[…] At least Spitzer and Weiner are only running for offices in Babylon. What’s the surprise that … Read to the end. […]