Why Eliot Spitzer Should CHALLENGE Kirsten Gillibrand

[Segami]

His political rehab is way ahead of schedule and it will be years before the stars are aligned for him like this.


It’s clear that Eliot Spitzer has made a political comeback his priority, moving aggressively and deliberately to restore his public profile, and pointedly refusing to rule out another run for office.


Now the question is: will he cash in his surprisingly positive reception by running this year for the only available office that fits his stature, the U.S. Senate – one he would probably win? Or, will he heed "sensible" advice and let some more time pass before testing the electoral waters, only to find every door blocked?


Spitzer has certainly picked a bold and novel path back to the limelight, cooperating with a documentary film by director Alex Gibney, linked to Peter Elkind’s unsparing book about his fall from grace, Rough Justice, and launching an out-of-nowhere attack this past weekend on Andrew Cuomo, his Democratic successor as state attorney general and the all-but-certain winner of this year’s governor’s race.


The Spitzer for Senate idea was raised earlier this year. A small boomlet took brief shape in February, when a New York Daily News piece by Mark Greenbaum laid out a clear-cut rationale for such a race: Kirsten Gillibrand, the appointed senator, is uncommonly weak; a garish string of political sex scandals has made Spitzer’s moral lapse seem almost tame; and most crucially, Spitzer’s record of taking on Wall Street matches the current moment perfectly.


New Yorkers expect their senators to be heavyweights, like Bobby Kennedy, Jacob Javits, Pat Moynihan, Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer. Gillibrand clearly isn’t that, at least in the voters’ eyes. A one-term, moderate upstate congresswoman before Governor David Paterson picked her to replace Clinton, she’s had massive assistance from her mentor Schumer, from many of Clinton’s ex-staffers, and from the Obama White House, which strong-armed several eager top-tier Democratic challengers out of her way.


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<http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2010/04/26/spitzer_comeback_gillibrand_2010/index.html>

[saltpoint]

1. It would hold high threshold interest but ultimately be very divisive.

I think Gillibrand, while she was not my first choice for that job, has stood her ground against all comers.

Emerging on top and in the clear, so to speak, and if I lived still in New York she have my vote.

I still do like Eliot Spitzer but don't see him as a Senator.

[Segami]

5. Sometimes, a fall from Grace gives people a just, renewed focus. I like Spitzer and truly believe

he has much more to offer in public service as a Senator than he did before as a Governor.

[saltpoint]

8. I hear you. And would agree that he would be wildly capable.

But being the executive administrator of New York is a better job for him than New York's junior senator.

I wonder if Spitzer is interested in the job enough to take Gillibrand on. You'd have to admit she's pretty well-positioned to win that nomination.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. Looks pretty compelling to me...

I'd love to see him back in public office.

I am puzzled though; why did he attack Andrew Cuomo?

Anyway, Go Eliot!

[defendandprotect]

3. I still like Spitzer . . .

[RandomThoughts]

6. I like him too. n/t

[xchrom]

4. Recommend

[denverbill]

7. He's paid his price and resigned, unlike Vitter and Craig.

I hope he goes for it. We need more people like him in Congress.

[NJmaverick]

9. Spitzer is an arrogant ass that needs to GO AWAY

he had his chance and he BLEW IT big time.

[Arkana]

11. Pretty much.

Damaged goods are damaged goods and Spitzer destroyed his political career with that little escort girl.

Anyone really want him matched up in a general against a Republican who will not hesitate to use that against him? We want to give up the seat to the Republicans, do we? Because that's what would happen.

And Gillibrand has been a pleasant surprise. I see no reason to torpedo an ally when we have people like Blanche Lincoln and Ben Nelson still in the goddamn party.

[defendandprotect]

16. Because of Spitzer we often have info we wouldn't have had ....

not about sex, but about government!!

[eleny]

10. If I was still living in NY, I'd vote for him

I think his success depends on what Republican is running. If it's Rudy, then who is Rudy to point a finger? If it's Peter King, oh gimme a break. Spitzer could run circles around that idiot.

So I hope he goes for it. He can always return to writing and commenting full time if he loses.

[Segami]

13. I agree.

[defendandprotect]

17. Me, too -- I think he was a danger to criminal capitalism . . .!!

[cali]

12. oh screw him. his sense of entitlement and arrogance turn me off

but then I'm not a NYer and it's not up to me.

[malaise]

14. Spitzer coming up on Ratigan on

GEM$NBC

[ecstatic]

15. he spent over 80grand on prostitutes. I wish all the ideas

for him to run for this or that would stop! Why can't we have higher standards?

[defendandprotect]

18. Maybe you're simply looking at the reality of what males do?

Spitzer simply had more money than most of them!

[CBR]

19. At least he is not Tiger Woods -- somehow returning to golf is a

big deal but running for public office or a supreme court nomination is not. It really astounds me.

[madinmaryland]

20. For god's sake! This just goes to show there is teh stupid on our side too.,

:mad:

It was not like he got a consensual BJ. He was doing exactly what he was prosecuting. What an asshole. FUCK HIM. We don't need him as a democrat.

Unrecced.