The New York Observer » Eliot Spitzer

Eliot Spitzer Sued for $60M in Libel Over Slate Column

Former New York Governor, Attorney General, and CNN host Eliot Spitzer—who The Observer had a nice chat with last week over the recent rage directed at Wall Street's ratings agencies—is this week being sued for libel over a year-old column for Slate. Read More

Q & A: Eliot Spitzer Rates the Ratings Agencies

In this week's issue of The Observer, we took a look at the ratings rage caused by the recent Standard and Poor's downgrade on long-term American debt. For the piece, we gave former New York Attorney General, Governor of the State of New York, and CNN host Eliot Spitzer a ring: as someone who dealt with the implications of ratings agencies from the standpoint of a prosecutor, a legislative executive, and as a television host, we figured a talk with Mr. Spitzer may yield at the least, some sharper talking points, and at best, some deep insight into the seemingly existential issue of how they operate. We got both. Read More

Eliot Spitzer’s Folksy Truism

The Post recently asked Eliot Spitzer if he were planning a run for office, and he replied in part: "'Those who know don't say, and those who say don't know.' So I wouldn't rely on anything anybody has told you." Perhaps the reason the line is in single quotes is because it's taken Read More

The Situation and the Story: Press Corps Parties While White House Makes History

It was Wednesday morning at 9:47 a.m. in the White House Press Briefing Room. The president of the United States of America, Barack Obama, took the podium. Major television networks had interrupted coverage to broadcast the president's address. "Now, let me just comment, first of all, on the fact that I can't get the networks Read More

Morning Read: Bloomberg’s Solar Panels, Spitzer’s Criticism

Federal Budget: George Pataki creates new group to push 2012 candidates on debt issues. [Devlin Barrett]

Economy: Bernanke will face the media next week. [Jon Hilsenrath]

2012: Americans Elect party to hold Internent nominating convention next summer. [Greg Lucas]

2012: Editors refer to "Westcheter's own Donald Trump." [Lohud.com]

2012: Will Read More

Sunday Reading: Spitzer Can Roil Democrats in 2013, Cops Get Probed

Libya: Obama's speech in March "seemed to elevate the absence of a doctrine to a doctrine." [Bill Keller]

2013: "Eliot running as an independent would be an asset to a Republican nominee because it would create a division of loyalty in the Democratic base," says Dick Grasso. [Michael Saul]

2013: Christine Quinn Read More

Morning Read: Grasso Eyes Spitzer for 2013, DC Makes Albany Look Good

Dick Grasso, speaking on Staten Island, via Staten Island Advance.

2012: Obama's numbers are soft; he's vulnerable. [Peggy Noonan]

2012: Trump doesn't know the number of congressmen in DC. [Carl Campanile]

2013: Grasso would do it, only if Ray Kelly doesn't and Eliot Spitzer does. [Jillian Taratunio]

2013: "If the Read More

Don’t Get Cocky, Weiner

Anthony Weiner ought to consider the fate of a certain former governor of New York. His name is Eliot Spitzer, and he had a pretty high opinion of himself back in the day. He enjoyed issuing moral pronouncements about the behavior, ethics and other habits of mere mortals. One day, however, the world discovered Read More

Spitzer Says Silver Didn’t Trust DiNapoli, But Made Him Comptroller Anyway

Eliot Spitzer drops this gem, in an interview with the West Side Spirit:

The first battle was over the choice of comptroller. And Tom DiNapoli is a fine guy. Like him, he’s a friend.
But I said, “You guys are putting institutional interest over public interest. He’s not the guy who should be running our pension Read More

Roundup: Eliot Spitzer Speaks

Funding Cuomo: David Koch and wife gave $87,000. [Chris Good]

Funding Cuomo: Koch gave $100,000 to the state GOP. [Liz Benjamin]

Voting the Budget: "They perform all right. Like trained seals." [Larry Littllefield]

Lawsuit: Goo-goo considers one, over access to capital building during protest. [Liz Benjamin]

State Budget: Silver gives his side of the Read More

Spitzer Agrees and Disagrees with Wisconsin’s Governor

When discussing Wisconsin's Governor Scott Walker, Eliot Spitzer sounds a little like Andrew Cuomo.

Spitzer, around the 5:50 mark:

"I disagree with Governor Walker...the right to bargain together is one of those fundamental rights we all believe individuals across the society should have. I agree with him that the givebacks are necessary in terms of Read More

Spitzer 2013

Would he want to, is my question.

The Other Controversy at Ground Zero: Church vs. State Over Tiny Site

A bitterly cold wind tore across the 50th floor of One World Trade Center on Dec. 5, yet the crews in hard hats kept their pace, driving the most important building in the city skyward a floor a week, putting to rest years of complaints about indecision and inaction at the world's most famous construction Read More

Just Govern, Governor

Andrew Cuomo has an ambitious agenda ahead of him. He wants to change the culture of Albany, get the state's finances in order, restore New York to its former greatness, reform pensions and benefits, talk sense to pork-hungry state legislators and, who knows, perhaps position himself for greater things to come.

That's a pretty impressive to-do Read More

Scandal One of Top Reasons NY Pols Leave Office, Report Says

Want a new legislator? Looks like there's a better chance of them get caught with their hand in the cookie jar or posting fun, flirty classifieds on CraigsList than getting voted out of office.

A report released today says that one of every 11 legislators who left office since 1999 has done so on account Read More