August 1, 2007
Spitzer Looks Forward To Ethics Inquiry
Taking the offensive, Governor Eliot Spitzer said high and low that he's "happy to, going to, look forward to" testify to the State Ethics Commission's investigation, should they want his testimony. The Subdued Steamroller said, "If they call me, I'd love to, and even if they don't, I'd love to send them my statement just because this needs to be clarified and made perfectly clear." Is he taking Ed Koch's advice?
But State Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, whose rivalry with Spitzer prompted the Governor's aides to look for ways to discredit him (hence the Ethics Commission inquiry), wants an investigation with more teeth. The Ethic Commission has Spitzer appointees, so Bruno and other Republican politicians think the state Commission of Investigation or the Albany County DA should handle an investigation. Interestingly, the Albany County DA's public integrity unit may be looking into the matter.
Spitzer continued to trumpet his innocence in the matter and told the Syracuse Post-Standard's editorial board, "Had I ever known, suspected, believed, thought that the state police were asked to do something out of the ordinary, I would have said, 'Stop immediately. What's going on? You can't do this.'" Well, hindsight is 20/20.




I can't believe Joe Bruno of all people is suddenly a moral authority. The guy's nothing more than a thug and needs to be kicked out of Albany. What Spitzer did may have been wrong, but something drastic obviously needs to be done to purge the entrenched interests that clog the legislature year after year after year. We hired Spitzer to clean house and we need to let him do it.
No one has ever said that Joe Bruno is the moral authority here. But you don't use a state trooper to dig up stuff on the guy -and pretend that the request for this first came from a paper, when it didn't- is just wrong and unethical. I am so glad I didn't vote for that bullying Spitzer.. If there was no wrong doing, why not let his aides speak to Cuomo ? I believe he lies and lies and lies
What goes around comes around.
If anyone needs an ethics inquiry it is Joe Bruno and we all know what that would yield - he has none.
Albany is turning into some sort of Bizarro Trenton.
#2 is absolutely right. You don't use State Troopers. You hire your own people on your campaign's dime. Jees, don't the Dems know anything?