The obvious call on Eliot Spitzer’s downfall has been covered so thoroughly that there’s no point in my rehashing it. But while most think Spitzer’s “crowning irony” (Daniel Schorr’s words) is the whole prostitute-prosecution thing, I think it’s something entirely different. A fallen politician is so not news, a politician or prominent public figure being hypocritical is so normal (hello Ted Haggard!!) that there’s little ironic there.
No, what’s really ironic about this case is about what it does to the balance of power in Albany. In all the hubbub, both on Spitzer’s downfall and the rise of NY’s historic new governor, you might have missed the juiciest nugget of all in this case: Spitzer’s resignation promotes his lieutenant guv to guv but also promotes Spitzer’s biggest political enemy (by far) to the lieutenant guv position. That would be none other than the venerable, crusty, belligerent, bellicose Joseph Bruno. The political hate and fire between Spitzer and Bruno (well, between Bruno and anybody it seems) was no secret, as anybody who even remotely follows NY politics knows (I lived there for five years, hence my minor interest in keeping tabs). Now Spitzer’s best bud gets to be one step from the highest position in NY politics. Nice work, Eliot!
More on the mechanics and nuances of the real delicious irony here.
