I know this isn't really a state politics site, but there are so many New Yorkers who post here, that I am curious to know everyone's take on the Eliot Spitzer situation. Yes, my diary title is probably objectionable to some. Bruno isn't exactly smelling like a rose either, and the whole thing stinks. But what else do you call it when a governor who swept into office riding mainly on an image of ethical reform and "law and order" winds up embroiled in an embarrassing scandal that gets uglier by the hour? (For those not up to date on what's going on, here's a link to today's developments.)
I honestly haven't talked to any Democrats who aren't privately appalled at either (a) what they see as guilt by Spitzer's staff or at the very least (b) what Spitzer has allowed himself to get drawn into after only six months. That said, it probably isn't any secret that Spitzer has very few friends in Albany anyway, even in his own party.
It has been frustrating over the past year or so to see Spitzer unquestioningly lionized by the casual observer, when even those who admire him and have high hopes for him were aware he wasn't Mr. Perfect, had certain problems with him during the campaign, and saw warning signs that all was not well. This, even as it's undebatable that the lords of Albany (Bruno and Silver) are slippery at best, that the legislature is dysfunctional, that the place is a total snake pit...
What do you think? What's your assessment of what Spitzer needs to do now? Is he handling it well or not? Should he fight, or be contrite? Is his position defensible? What does his situation mean for the future of reform in New York -- is it tied to the outcome of this scandal, or do you think not?