Random Bits o’ Spitzer

Spent a few minutes surfing the Web, and found this collection of tidbits on New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, the frenzied media’s scandal du jour. From the sublime to the ridiculous … first, Mickey Kaus notes that a Spitzer resignation (unless he’s brazen enough to stick it out) would put school choice supporter Lt. Governor David Paterson at the helm of the Empire State. That’s good news.

And on the lighter side, Scrapple Face’s Scott Ott notes the chief clue that tipped off investigators to Spitzer’s illicit behavior:

A spokesman from the prosecutorâ€

s office said, “Typically, when a Democrat Governor comes to the nationâ€

s capital, heâ€

s got his hat in hand and winds up leaving town with a bunch of money. The fact that Spitzer brought money into the District, gave it to a taxpayer, and left with less cash in his pocket was a red flag for us.”

But the laugh-out-loud punchline of the night comes from David Freddoso at the Corner. After highlighting Republican campaign staffers’ efforts to demand Democrat Congressmen return the money if their fundraising was aided by Spitzer, he writes:

If their PR pain threshold is low enough, then I suppose the candidates will return the money or give it to charity (perhaps to battered women’s shelters or something). But I’d actually admire any one of them who has the courage to keep the money and say:

“Well, at least this $2,300 won’t be spent on a whore!”

Then again, that may not be entirely accurate. It is being spent on candidates for Congress…

Meanwhile, as the media salivates over Spitzer’s salacious story and its impact on Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, a longer-lasting, potentially more damaging political scandal for her rival returned to the news today. Barack Obama’s name came up again in the Tony Rezko trial. Just passing acquaintances, eh? Time will tell.