According to her Facebook profile, Lydia Hearst is engaged! After just one week of dating Matt Rains, Trevor Rains' brother, the twinkly-eyed socialite posted the update: "Lydia Marie Hearst Shaw went from being 'it's complicated' to 'engaged.' [Daily Intel]  read more »

Finally someone is honoring Silda Wall Spitzer's mortifying role in her husband's debacle rather than criticizing her for it. Harper's Bazaarhas done a photo shoot titled "Stand By Your Man" inspired by the Spitzer sex scandal; it will appear in the magazine's June issue. The images, conceived by photographer Peter Lindbergh, portray the narrative of an uptown couple dealing with a very public political sex scandal. They even recreate the Podium Scene in which Ms. Wall stood beside the former governor with that infamous defeated look on her face. And check out the ascots!

Follow the jump for the rest of the "story."  read more »

After an icy two-minute-and-45-second speech that mixed his trademark indignation and what seemed like strained remorse, Governor Eliot Spitzer walked out of public life this afternoon.

His lantern jaw clenched, Spitzer stood at the podium in a blue suit, white shirt and blue-green tie next to his wife Silda Wall Spitzer, whose eyes looked drained and nearly lifeless above a gold red and blue scarf.

"In the last few days I have begun to atone for my private failings with my wife Silda, and my children and my entire family," began Spitzer, to a small room in his Third Avenue executive chambers packed with dozens of television, radio and print reporters. Some of his aides stood, arms folded, against a wall in the back of the room, next to a riser crowded with television cameras. Some looked as if they had been crying.

"The remorse I feel will always be with me,” Spitzer said. “Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the love and compassion they have shown me."

Spitzer tried to demonstrate humility, but his delivery was stern and wooden.  read more »

Assemblyman Michael Benjamin of the Bronx, a Democrat who has criticized Spitzer on occasions, emails:

"I'm dazed by today's news regarding Gov Spitzer's involvement with a prostitution ring. My wife, Kennedy, and I offer our prayers for Silda Wall Spitzer and her two daughters. We pray that Gov Spitzer makes the right decision for his family and the people of New York. Concerns about his character are for another day."

   read more »

One of the more interesting moments from last night's Empire State Pride Agenda’s fund-raiser: Assemblyman Danny O’Donnell telling attendees that they have to protect lawmakers who voted for his bill to legalize same-sex marriage because if any of them lose, for whatever reason, it’ll be tied to this vote.

Also noteworthy was state Senator Malcolm Smith’s speech. Last year, he waffled briefly on whether to support gay marriage. Last night, he said he threw away his speech, “because how I feel about the issue in my heart and how I feel about the LGBT community, there is no reason for anybody to write anything for me.”

And I can’t pass on noting Smith’s opening remarks acknowledging to other attendees: “Tell me, don’t we have a gorgeous and eloquent First Lady for the state of New York? Congressman Weiner, don’t be jealous now. I’m talking about Silda.”