Eliot Spitzer's Plumbers
Enemies List? What Enemies List?
By Dan McLaughlin Posted in State Politics — Comments (10) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
So it turns out that Eliot Spitzer, the man who made his name as New York's lawless, ham-fisted Attorney General (see here for some background), is now a lawless, ham-fisted governor with henchmen who use state law enforcement resources for partisan opposition research:
The fallout from a damaging report by Attorney General Cuomo's office detailing the Spitzer administration's use of state police for political attack purposes is likely to spread, threatening to upend Governor Spitzer's agenda and bring down his most senior adviser.
After a three-week investigation, Mr. Cuomo's office yesterday released a 53-page report accusing Mr. Spitzer's communications director, Darren Dopp, and a top state homeland security official of ordering state police to take extraordinary measures to track the use of air and ground police escorts by the Republican Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, in an effort to catch him abusing state resources.
As the New York Times put it, this was all part of "an effort to plant a negative story about Mr. Bruno and damage him politically," and a bogus one at that:
Mr. Dopp later made misleading statements about the involvement of the governor’s office in the effort, the report indicates. The report concludes that Mr. Bruno’s use of the helicopters — on trips that included both political and legislative events — was proper.
The delicious irony here is that it took all of seven months in office for Spitzer to get pursued and nailed by investigators from his own former office. I guess they knew his M.O.
Front page stories in the Daily News and the Post have more. Culture of corruption, anyone?
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Eliot Spitzer's Plumbers 10 Comments (0 topical, 10 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
He'll get away with that here in liberal NY since his victims have been republicans and businessmen. It only proves that left to their own devices, the modern day liberal is really the true fascist.
he's an accident waiting to happen. A dictatorial leader with a volcanic temper, a heart filled with revenge, coupled with a lack of morality - the spoiled rich boy could well destroy himself before this term is over. The self-described "steamroller" is heading over a cliff. Should give the paper's plenty to write about - heck might even provide a well-needed spark to the NYS Republican party (okay the last comment is a bit hopeful).
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"Enlightened statesmen will not always be at the helm." -- James Madison
Doesn't think he can raise the dead.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
when going after, and virtually blackmailing, corporations & executives. I'd like to see how this is explained away. The comparison to BusHitler in it's differences is striking. Will any liberal call for the impeachment of SpitzerHitler?
A good day to check the liberal[?] web sites.
"a man's admiration for absolute government is proportinate to the contempt he feels for those around him". Tocqueville
I don't think he insinuates it... he flat-out does it. His lackey Cuomo isn't much better in this regard. Both choose their targets primarily out of the interest of grabbing headlines, something that means they are less suited for the task of effective public-sector leadership and more suited for being cast members on "Saturday Night Live". Heck, SNL hasn't been able to generate the sort of buzz that Spitzer has in over a decade...
"The world is filled with violence. Because criminals carry guns, we decent, law-abiding citizens should also have guns. Otherwise they will win and the decent people will lose." - James Earl Jones
Is there anyone ready or close to ready in the GOP to make a run at him when he's up for re-election?
The facts in Cuomo's report were just too obvious for any substantial parsing. This will follow Spitzer for the remainder of his term. My only question is will the AG pursue charges against the aide and then lean on him to give up Spitzer?
Doubtful, this is NY and all is taken care of between Democrats. Rising tax burdens, bigger government and corruption seem to be nonchalantly accepted as inevitable part of the political moonscape.
The vultures are circling, therefore my only question is who will be the first to challenge Spitzer come next election. Oh, and expect Spitzer to make some big policy announcement as a distraction.
"Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori"
Contributor to The Minority Report
...well, it's been said often that States' AGs are simply Governors-in-Training. Mr. Cuomo's office won't file charges, it will draw this thing out -- using Death-by-leaks as Spitzer did against his Wall St. targets -- to bleed Gov. Spitzer until the next election cycle.
For a minute there I saw "Schumer" instead of "Spitzer" and almost wet myself. Drat!
--furious
"I find your lack of faith disturbing." -- Darth Vader
Proof positive that W is such an underachiever when it comes to police state tactics.
But we knew that!