Wednesday, March 12, 2008
NY Governor Eliot Spitzer resigns
WE’VE MOVED! Democratic Convention Watch is now at http://www.DemocraticConventionWatch.com
Governor Spitzer just announced that he will be resigning effective Monday, March 17th.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer, reeling from revelations that he had been a client of a prostitution ring, announced his resignation today at his headquarters in Manhattan.
Mr. Spitzer’s resignation is to be effective Monday, and Lt. Gov. David A. Paterson is to be sworn in to replace him. – NYT
We have removed his endorsement of Hillary Clinton and our superdelegate number goes back to 795 just a few hours after it hit 796. Should David Paterson step down from his DNC spot the number will go back to 796. Until then we’ll be at 795.
Update 3/17: The DNC has confirmed that Paterson is keeping his DNC spot.
Posted by Matt at 11:50 AM 
Is there any reason to believe that Paterson would give up his DNC seat?
Yes, he gets Super D status as Gov. of NY State.
Question. Why does Paterson stepping down add a delegate? I see two possible reasons:
1: His current position does not give him a vote. He’s a governor now, so if he steps down, he can be a superdelegate.
2: He’s already a voting DNC member, but if he steps down, he still gets a vote as governor, and someone else gets the DNC position.
Which is it?
Russell – That seems to presume that the only reason he was on the DNC was to have superdelegate status. The DNC does a lot more than just serve as superdelegates. There are several other DNC members who would have superdelegate status even if they were not in the DNC, yet continue to hold their positions.
Dan – The answer is 2. Note, though, that as a governor he would still get a vote at the convention, but that does not mean he would get to vote in the DNC.
According to the NY constitution, the lieutenant governor position will not be filled once Paterson is elevated. Senate president Joe Bruno, a Republican, will perform all duties of the lieutenant governor instead.
That means that Bruno takes over the duties of governor whenever Paterson is absent from the state. Can Paterson really attend the convention in Denver under those circumstances?
KC – The Governor of NY can not effectively do his job if he’s worried about leaving the state. I can’t imagine it would be a problem, and if Bruno tried to get away with something I think he would suffer politically.
That said, Matt, it should be noted that Bruno has his own legal problems that won’t go away. Between that, and a situation that could have him out of the Senate Majority Leadership after November (though Spitzer’s actions may have just made it a little tougher for the Dems), he may not care as much about the political consequences.
More info here: http://www.thealbanyproject.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=27D889491200E877B01F3211C04E5476?diaryId=2093
Spitzer is gone will Vitter follow?
After years of Spitzer’s holier then thou attitude, the Governor of New York announces his resignation at a press conference.
Eliot Spitzer (Client # 9) with his wife, Silda Wall Spitzer, at his side, announced that His resignation will take effect on Monday. For those with out a TV, comes two days after news broke that he had been a customer of a very high price prostitution ring.
Spitzer’s resignation call into question when David Vitter will also drop out of his position in the senate.
This after his phone number showed up on a list of phone records in the case against Deborah
Jeane Palfrey, aka “the D.C. Madam.”
The list of politicians disgraced in sex scandals is a long one, including some of the very “Founding Fathers” of this country.
Republican Senate. Larry Craig, ( Wide- Stance ) of Idaho, in August 2008, pleaded guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct in a sting that targeted Gay sex in a Minneapolis men’s airport bathroom.
Republican Rep. Mark Foley, of -Florida., resigned last fall after it was discovered he was sending sexually explicit messages to underage male pages.
Republican James McGreevey resigned as the governor of New Jersey in November 2004 after admitting to an affair with a male employee.
Democrat President Bill Clinton was impeached in 1998 for lying under oath in a probe into his extramarital affair with intern Monica Lewinsky. This leaving parent everywhere
trying to explain to their 10 year old children, why “The Blue Dress” was important in the case.
Republican Senator Bob Packwood, Ore., in 1995 resigned his seat after being accused of sexual misconduct by 29 women. Creating an income stream for those that
offer Sexual Harassment sensitivity classes .
Republican Rep. Donald Lukens, of Ohio, was convicted for paying a 16-year-old girl to have sex with him in 1988
These are just a fraction of those that one could list. Clearly these actions are taking place of both sides of the “Left” and “Right” These acts seem to come up so often that they almost seem like part of the job description.
It is sad to see a man’s life time of hard work flushed down the drain, but he is the one that pulled the lever.
Larry Lubell
www.UrbanInsuranceAgency.com