The New York Daily News let loose its succinct analysis of former New York State governor and current candidate for New York City Comptroller Eliot Spitzer’s character and its hopes for his future on its front page over the weekend. There was a news article inside the paper that went into far greater detail, but the front page, as captured in a picture by Breitbart, said it all.
“Liar, criminal, sex cheat, fraudster – and he still wants your trust,” and then, in huge typeface and all capital letters: “scr*w you!”
For those who have not yet been paying attention, Eliot Spitzer was forced to resign his position as governor of New York in 2008 when it was revealed that, despite a history as an aggressive prosecutor of prostitutes and pimps while he was NY’s attorney general, had his own history of frequenting high-end call girls.
After a year or two out of the spotlight, Spitzer went back out in public with a vengeance. He wrote for a widely-read online magazine, and in 2010 he became the cohost of a talk show on CNN. Earlier this year Spitzer announced he was a candidate for the position of New York City’s Comptroller.
The position of City Comptroller, not typically considered a high-profile one, is one laden with potential.
The comptroller is really the chief financial officer of the city, and New York’s is responsible for 700 employees. As comptroller, Spitzer would be responsible for ensuring the financial health of NYC, advising the mayor and city council about all the city’s programs, operations, fiscal policies and financial transactions.
That is a big job, one with plenty of potential for lots of photo ops and high profile “gotchas,” the kind Spitzer loved when he was in his heyday as the “Sheriff of Wall Street.”
But if the Daily News has anything to say about it, Spitzer will not become “NYC’s piggybank sheriff.” In addition to the screaming front page headline, there was an article endorsing Spitzer’s opponent, Scott Stringer, Manhattan’s borough president.
The New York Times also endorsed Stringer, as did the New York Post.
But it is Spitzer who may have the last laugh. Recent polls show him with nearly a 20 point lead over Stringer.
On the other hand, maybe not.
Spitzer’s wife, Silda, stood by her husband throughout his public disgrace. However, after Spitzer announced this spring that he was again running for public office, Silda has been a no-show on the campaign trail. There are reports she will seek a divorce from Spitzer as soon as the campaign is over.
Spitzer’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment.