Eliot Spitzer: 'Typical Times, But Helpful'

The Troopergate report (pdf) that came out on Friday has some great back-room gossip between Eliot Spitzer and one of his top aides, Rich Baum, about a Times story.

On the morning of July 1, Mr. Spitzer and Mr. Baum exchanged e-mails about a Nicholas Confessore story that came out that day, which was about Mr. Spitzer's latest attack on state legislators. In it, you'll see that Mr. Spitzer really cared about things like ledes and headlines and that he found Mr. Confessore's story "superficial", and his top aide found it "amazing" for "what they pass off as analysis."

The passage from the report:

In a separate set of e-mails early in the morning on that date, Spitzer asked Rich Baum: “So how do u think confessore came out? And have u seen times []union on bruno?” To this, Baum replied: “Thought confe[ssore] story was what you said – fine but not how should have been written. Amazing what they pass off as analysis. Bruno story is very bad for him I think. Really puts him in a bad spot. Can’t believe it won’t have some legs. What you think?”

Spitzer responded: “Agree. Confessor[e] was just so superficial, but our side is there, and headline and lead are ok. Focus is we are trying to shift the game. I just want us to get away fr[om] wasting time on the legislature. I agree bruno has a problem. And the nyra story on top of it will be a probl[e]m. When will we get dollar figures ab[ou]t repub part[]y? Will fit well with the ti[]mes regional edit: sewer money, which was typical ti[]mes but helpful. Agree?”