Spitzer could get up to 10 years for a violation of the Federal Mann Act of trafficing by bringing a prostitute across state lines, if found guilty.

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Those duties include acting as governor when the nominal office-holder is out of the state. Moreover, should Mr. Spitzer resign and if Mr. Paterson were unwilling or unable to take his place, Mr. Bruno would become acting governor—a possibility that would hold special irony, given the vicious and ongoing battles between Mr. Bruno and Mr. Spitzer over the last year.

And that's exactly why the SOB isn't resigning .... greed

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Spitzer could get up to 10 years for a violation of the Federal Mann Act of trafficing by bringing a prostitute across state lines, if found guilty.

...and lose his law license.

I was watching Fox News and they re-played Spitzer's news conference with his wife of 21 years standing by his side. She looked pathetic. My heart truly goes out to his wife and children.

As far as Mr. Spitzer, he is a steamrolling scum-bag. He is arrogant and self serving, someone who we should not have representing the people. If Mr. Spitzer can't even place his family before his own selfish self, what more can WE THE PEOPLE expect from him?

Good riddens to Mr. Spitzer!

It's a power play from the bowels of the machine.....yes, the penis is running amok....Mr.Spitzer should just walk away with Mr.Paterson and let Mr. Bruno lead.....he sure knows alot about horse racing.....when the smoke clears there is ALOT more to this than meets the eye.....throwing stones in glass houses is bizarre and spitting into the wind gets ya dirty.....

maybe, Ms.Clinton and Ms.Spitzer could form an alliance....oh, yeah......there's a vision.... ...it could be like Jerry Springer or some other wonderful ethic, moral reality tv show....yeah, teach the next generation,,, go ahead,,,,I dare ya to......

If I am not mistaken but isn't Joe Bruno under the black cloud of an FBI investagation also?  By the reaction of the Majority leader he didn't gloat he was a statesman unlike that bozo Tedisco who in my opinion looks like a little manchild.  Jimmy, jimmy, jimmy think of the man's wife.  Oh I forgot you never married.   Any hopes of moving up in the political world Jimmy boy is clouded by your crass and insensitive disrespect for the man's wife and daughters.  Chauvinist pig.

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If I am not mistaken but isn't Joe Bruno under the black cloud of an FBI investagation also?  By the reaction of the Majority leader he didn't gloat he was a statesman unlike that bozo Tedisco who in my opinion looks like a little manchild.  Jimmy, jimmy, jimmy think of the man's wife.  Oh I forgot you never married.   Any hopes of moving up in the political world Jimmy boy is clouded by your crass and insensitive disrespect for the man's wife and daughters.  Chauvinist pig.

Joe Bruno may be under a black cloud, but what politician isn't?  Isn't the job of their political adversaries to find some dirt on them?  The difference is, is that Spitzer wasn't a casualty of a political partisan attack.  As a matter of fact, he wasn't even the one being investigated!  Spitzer was breaking the law in which he swore an oath to uphold as the former Attorney General.  He actually prosecuted prostitution rings as Attorney General while allegedly patronizing high end escort service(prostitution) himself.  That's not even mentioning his responsibility as a husband and father.  This is mortifying at so many levels.

PDQ, you're a good democrat soldier.  Defending the indefensible.  Pointing fingers at those Republicans who had nothing to do with the  self-destruction of your most powerful state and even national democratic leader Eliot "Steamroller" Spitzer.  Spitzer is political poison.  Members of his own party are keeping their distance on this one.  Mrs. Spitzer is probably keeping her distance also.  PDQ, you shouldn't waste precious keystrokes attempting to smear local republicans, while the highest ranking state democrat has this serious charge hanging over his head.

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CAPITOL
Leaders express shock, outrage over scandal
Canestrari: ‘This place is rocked to its foundation’
BY BOB CONNER Gazette Reporter

    “I’m just shocked,” Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari, D-Cohoes, said Monday afternoon outside the Assembly chamber.
    “This place is rocked to its foundations,” he added.
    Canestrari, like other Democrats, declined to comment on whether he thought Gov. Eliot Spitzer should resign as a result of his involvement in a prostitution scandal.
    Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco, R-Schenectady, had no such doubts. After the news broke early Monday afternoon on The New York Times Web site, and before Spitzer issued his statement, Tedisco spoke to reporters in a Capitol corridor and said if the report is true, Spitzer should resign.
    Once Spitzer had spoken, Tedisco issued a statement saying “Today’s news that Eliot Spitzer was likely involved with a prostitution ring and his refusal to deny it leads to one inescapable conclusion: He has disgraced his office and the entire state of New York. He should resign his offi ce immediately. He is unfit to lead our state and unfit to hold public office.”
    Tedisco said it would be impos- sible for Spitzer to continue as a champion of high ethics, given his admission of wrongdoing. But he also said, “Our prayers go out to him and the family, and the kids.”
    Tedisco told The Gazette he had received a call from Lt. Gov. David Paterson, who told him, “He’s ready to lead if there’s a transition.”
    Paterson could not be reached for comment.
    Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, R-Brunswick, like most people at the Capitol, expressed sympathy for Spitzer’s family. He also said, “The important thing for the people of New York state is that people in office do the right thing,” but did not respond to questions asking whether the governor should resign.
    Assemblyman Bob Reilly, D-Colonie, said, “We don’t know all the facts,” but “at the moment, people are shocked, angry and disappointed” — including himself.
    Reporters gathered in the Senate lobby Monday, waiting in vain for Paterson to emerge from his offi ce adjoining it.
    Among the others gathered there were Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters and Bill Mahoney of the New York Public Interest Research Group, who were discussing what the state Constitution and laws say regarding who presides over the Senate in the event of the lieutenant governor becoming governor. If Spitzer did resign, they agreed, it would strengthen Bruno’s position in the Senate, where his Republican conference has a two-vote, one-seat majority.
    Paterson presides over the Senate, and has the tie-breaking vote. But if he became governor, there would be no replacement lieutenant governor, Bartoletti and Mahoney said, until one was elected in 2010. That means Senate Democrats would need to induce two Republicans, rather than one, to defect in order to overturn the GOP majority this year. The scandal also might weaken Democrats’ prospects in the November election, when they had been expected by many to capture the Senate.
    “I just hope [Spitzer] has the character to resign,” said the Rev. Duane Motley, executive director of New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a socially conservative group.
    Peter Stix, 52, of Albany, also was waiting in the Senate lobby. He said he had head the news about the governor on WAMC radio, as he was going on business to the Corning Tower. So, he said, he thought he would come to the Capitol to see what was going on.
    While many people were saying Spitzer would have to resign, Stix disagreed.
    “I hope he doesn’t [resign],” Stix said, “but it would certainly be understandable if he does. After all, Bill Clinton didn’t resign, so there’s precedent for retaining your position.”
    Rumors swirled around the Capitol Monday evening that Spitzer’s resignation was imminent, possibly coming in the middle of the night. Photographers and a reporter or two remained encamped outside Paterson’s office at 8:45 p.m., although the lieutenant governor was not believed to be inside.
    However, Spitzer’s press offi ce on the second floor was mostly deserted at 8:10 p.m., and spokeswoman Jennifer Givner, who had left the office, said she was not expecting any announcement Monday night.
    Sen. James Seward, R-Milford, whose district includes Schoharie County, issued a statement saying, “I don’t know the facts of the situation. I will not accuse or condemn. At a time when we face such critical problems, we need the full attention of our governor.
    “Depending on the facts, and the truth — and the governor knows the truth — I hope he will do the right thing and put the people of the state first.”
    Away from the Capitol, reaction among area leaders was mixed.
    Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton, calling it “a very sad day,” said “I think everyone is shocked. Certainly those of us who have been friends and supporters of the governor are.
    “I think ‘stunned’ is a word I could aptly use for how I feel. Who expects that out of anyone? I’m almost speechless,” Stratton said.
    Fulton County Clerk William E. Eschler, a Republican, said the allegations are inconsistent with Spitzer’s stated goal of cleaning up New York.
    “He lost touch with the people of the state and made proposals that made absolutely no sense,” said Eschler, citing what he called the “use of state troopers to try to regain the state Senate,” the driver’s license controversy and the imposition of a variety of fee increases.
    Fulton County Democratic Chairman Albert Hayes said he heard of the allegations Monday but would reserve judgment until there is more information.
    Gloversville Mayor Tim Hughes, a Democrat, would say only “at this point these are just allegations.”
    Another Democrat, Amsterdam Town Supervisor Thomas DiMezza, said the revelations give the state a black eye and that Spitzer should step down.
    “I think he should do the right thing and resign. He’s done wrong as head of state. The governor, he’s held to a higher standard and he’s violated that standard so he needs to do the right thing, just step aside,” DiMezza said.
    “It’s more than morality, it’s something that’s illegal,” said Di-Mezza, a detective lieutenant with the Amsterdam city Police Department.

RICHARD DREW/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Traders watch a statement by Gov. Eliot Spitzer on a screen in a booth on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange Monday.

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Political observers believe Spitzer in ‘big, big trouble’
BY SARA FOSS Gazette Reporter

    Gov. Eliot Spitzer, linked Monday to an expensive prostitution ring, found little support among Capital Region political observers, with reactions ranging from sadness to disbelief and strong doubt about his ability to lead any longer.
    “If the reports are true, Spitzer is in big, big trouble, and not just with his wife,” said Joseph Zimmerman, a professor of political science at the University at Albany’s Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. “If what [we’re hearing] is fact, he’ll probably be indicted by the U.S. Attorney.”
    That’s because Spitzer might have violated the Mann Act, which makes it a felony to transport women across state lines “for the purpose of prostitution or debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose, or with the intent and purpose to induce, entice or compel such a woman or girl” to immoral acts. “It’s a very simple case for a jury to convict,” Zimmerman said. “He’s probably going to conclude that the prospects for conviction under the Mann Act are very, very good, and that, under the circumstances, rather than having the controversy continue for an extended period of time, it may be better to resign.”
    “Many people may not be aware of the Mann Act,” Zimmerman said. “They may see this as just a scandal. ... But [if this is true] he clearly violated the Mann Act, and that’s bad news for him, and bad news for his family. For his family, it really is a tragedy.”
    Alan Chartock, political commentator and professor emeritus at University at Albany, agreed. “This is a lot worse than having an affair,” he said. “He’s fully aware he’s breaking the law. At the very least, it’s a terrible lapse in judgment. … Girlfriends are one thing. Lots of people have girlfriends. Lots of people have boyfriends. Prostitutes are different.”
    Helen Desfosses, an associate professor of public affairs and social policy at Rockefeller College, suggested Spitzer may end up making a deal with prosecutors. “This isn’t only a political question,” Desfosses said. “It’s a legal issue.”
    Chartock said, “The fact of the matter is that he’s governor of New York. He’s prosecuted prostitutes. What could he have been thinking?”
    In New York, any elected official who is convicted of a felony must resign.
    On Monday, political observers expressed shock at Spitzer’s stunning political fall, one that was harder than most, given his reputation as reformer.
    “This is whatever the largest number on the Richter Scale is,” Desfosses said. “I’m totally stunned. I couldn’t be more stunned if my mother was involved.”
    Desfosses raised “a lot” of money for Spitzer. She cheered his election — “I couldn’t wait until he got into office” — and believed that, after a disastrous first year, the trajectory was up. “When I think about the people who uprooted their entire lives to serve in his administration, I feel sad,” she said. “I’m struck by the human tragedy. I saw people who work with him who had tears in their eyes today.”
    As of Monday night, Spitzer had yet to resign, but political observers said that it will be diffi cult for him to lead now, no matter what happens.
    “This removes his moral authority,” said Gerald Benjamin, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at SUNY New Paltz. “This brings into question his ability to govern.”
    “Governors in other states have been rogues and accepted as rogues,” said Benjamin, a political scientist. But that’s not true of Spitzer. “If you read his biography, there’s no discussion of sex or play, except for competitive athletics. … This an extremely sad moment. It’s sad for the state.”
    Benjamin noted that Spitzer’s first year was challenging, bogged down by the Troopergate scandal and his feud with the Legislature. What Spitzer is accused of is “a little different” than the “sexual peccadilloes we’re accustomed to hearing about,” such as affairs and the “hijinks people in Albany get into away from their spouses,” Benjamin said. Like others, he suggested that Spizer had squandered an opportunity to change New York for the better. “There’s an extremely high cost to this,” he said.
    “Spitzer ran for office as a reformer,” Zimmerman said. “He’s on record as being a very ethical person, until this. I really was not expecting anything like this. I never thought they’d dig up anything of this nature.”
    Zimmerman suggested that women, in particular, may feel betrayed by Spitzer.
    Chartock described Spitzer as a “brilliant lawyer” who made a “colossal mistake in judgment.”
    “I’m really unhappy, because I had such high hopes for Gov. Spitzer,” Chartock said.
    Benjamin said that if Spitzer resigns, the line of succession is clear: Lt. Gov. David Paterson will become governor.
    Chartock noted that Paterson had a good working relationship with Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno when he was the minority leader, and that perhaps relations between the Legislature and governor’s office would actually improve with new leadership.
    “We don’t really know what will happen,” Chartock said. “There was really bad blood between Spitzer and Bruno.”

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Attention is now on lieutenant governor
Paterson next in line to succeed Spitzer
BY MICHAEL GORMLEY The Associated Press

    Less than two years after he reluctantly ran for lieutenant governor, David Paterson is suddenly in line to be only the third black governor since Reconstruction, and the first in New York.
    “He’s the next governor and probably quite soon,” said Maurice Carroll, director of Quinnipiac University’s Polling Institute and a longtime New York political reporter.
    Attention turned to Paterson immediately after word surfaced Monday that Gov. Eliot Spitzer had been linked to a high-priced prostitution ring. In a brief appearance in front of reporters, Spitzer issued a vague apology and did not mention resignation.
    If Spitzer quits, Paterson automatically becomes governor and would complete Spitzer’s term, which ends Dec. 31, 2010.
    There was no immediate comment from Paterson.
    Paterson, a 53-year-old Democrat from Harlem who is mostly blind, is well respected by Republicans and Democrats.
    Former New York City Mayor Edward Koch recently called Paterson “very capable, not withstanding his near sightlessness. It’s never impeded his public actions or his personal actions, and he’s really overcome it in an extraordinary way.”
    Paterson, who does not use a cane or a guide dog, can make out shapes and even people up close. He lost most of his sight as an infant when an infection damaged his optic nerve. He still talks of his fragile self-esteem in childhood and recalls not being invited to parties because “people thought I would fall and hurt myself.”
    Paterson’s disability has never been an issue in Albany in his 20-year political career. He has memorized lengthy, impassioned speeches without missing a mark; cited arcane legal references in fast-paced floor debates; and won more victories for his party in the Senate than any other leader in the Legislature. His efforts brought Democrats to within a seat of taking the Senate majority for the first time in decades.
    Critics and supporters alike all point to the intellect, compassion and humor that Paterson brings to the Statehouse. When Spitzer picked him to be his running mate in 2006, Paterson deadpanned: “I told Eliot, ‘Whenever you are trying to reform a system, you need a person with vision and a person who is a technician,’ and that’s what I am … because I sure don’t have vision.”
    “He’s going to bring love to the executive branch and Legislature,” said Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Brooklyn Democrat. “He’s a real mensch, plain and simple.”
    The only other black governors since Reconstruction were Deval Patrick, currently serving in Massachusetts, and L. Douglas Wilder of Virginia, who left offi ce in 1994.
    Even New York Republicans have a healthy respect for Paterson.
    “I don’t think there’s an issue David Paterson and I agree on, but he’s one of the most decent, honorable guys I’ve ever met,” said Rep. Peter King of Long Island, who already was referring to Paterson as “the new governor.”
    Paterson has enjoyed a good relationship with Spitzer’s chief nemesis, Republican Majority Leader Joseph Bruno.
    In pointed yet humorous floor debates, a kind of father-son relationship was evident between the younger Harlem Democrat and the rural, upstate Republican, who is 78.
    Two years ago, Paterson was so focused on taking control of the Senate and becoming majority leader that he was surprised by Spitzer’s offer to be lieutenant governor.
    If he ascends to the governor’s office, Paterson would also have an advantage in that he would have nearly three years remaining in Spitzer’s term.
    “If he becomes governor, he can move forward with what he wants to do as governor and start to set a tone,” said Lee Miringoff of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion. “The state will have been shaken by all these revelations. And I think he’s someone who is widely respected, and he has a lot of experience in the corridors of Albany.”

JIM MCKNIGHT/ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Lt. Gov. David Paterson takes his oath of office in this Jan. 1, 2007, file photo at the Capitol in Albany.

I judge both party's elected officials, leaders etc on equal terms.  Jim Tedisco was Armando Tebano's consigliere as he is John Mertz', Bill Sherman's, Steve Tommasone's, George Amedore's and I am not quite sure of Suhrada because I don't think anybody likes him in his party except for maybe Tommy "Gun" Buchanan.  Where was Tedisco then?  I don't recall him standing on a soapbox calling for Tebano to resign.  They are all a bunch of hypocrites.  I judge the character of leaders like Tedisco on how they relate to the family side of personal tragedies.  Jimmy just doesn't relate or have any regard for that part of the equation.      

All politicans have done something illegal that could bring an investigation or others would want a resignation. Its just a matter of who gets cought. Clinton and Spitzer got cought. As for all the rest they better thing twice and have a plan if sh*t goes down.

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Those duties include acting as governor when the nominal office-holder is out of the state. Moreover, should Mr. Spitzer resign and if Mr. Paterson were unwilling or unable to take his place, Mr. Bruno would become acting governor—a possibility that would hold special irony, given the vicious and ongoing battles between Mr. Bruno and Mr. Spitzer over the last year.

And that's exactly why the SOB isn't resigning .... greed

Spitzer may be looking for a deal from the Feds.  Politicians in office are often treated differently (e.g., immunity) than private citizens.

I am wondering who clients 1-8 are ...  Is there more fallout to come?

I think of this not as a Republican vs. Democrat issue.  The fall out will of course be political, but there are enough bums to cover all political parties.  It could have just as easily been a Republican Governor at the Mayflower Hotel.  No, sadly, I consider this another tear at the fabric of our "civilized society" in general.  The betrayal by someone so many people placed their trust in.  Most importantly, his wife.  I pity the roughly 20% of the people who do not think he should resign. This event is a testament to the mans character, honesty, and integrity.  None of which he apparently has, in my humble opinion he is unworthy of representing the state of New York or me. It really is too bad, I thought he did a great job as Attorney General.

There is a difference between the dems and reps on how they deal with their own. When a dem is a 'bad boy/girl' the party will rally around them, will throw money at them, create a patronage job for them and make excuses and provisions for them.

When a rep is a 'bad boy/girl', they eat their own, pull funding from them, distance themselves from them and throw them overboard and move on ahead.

And as far as Tedisco not being married....I believe that Tonko never married either. So your point PDQ?