Reactions to Spitzer: Karben Feels Bad, Stone Doesn't

Former Assemblyman Ryan Karben, who was forced from office for allegations that he acted inappropriately with an intern, said his thoughts are with his friend Eliot Spitzer.

“I just feel terrible for Eliot and his family and he’s been a terrific public servant and he deserves some time to figure things out,” Karben told me just now. “I’m thinking about my friend Eliot, not about the governor.”

Roger Stone, a former consultant for the New York State Senate Republicans who was pushed out after an incident involving a profanity-laced phone call to Spitzer’s father, said, “I don’t find it surprising because he thinks the rules don’t apply to him. Spying on Joe Bruno, illegally financing your campaign or playing with prostitutes. There’s always been this idea that he is above the law. And as we know from Watergate, nobody is above the law.” (Stone was also one of Nixon's tricksters. He has a tattoo of Nixon on his back.)

Stone went on to say, “I never understood a politician that thought they can do this kind of thing and thinks they can get away with it.” He added, “People just found out that the sheriff of Wall Street is a common criminal.”