Hillary Clinton erases Eliot Spitzer in a New York minute*

*(UPDATE: We messed up. This headline is wrong because the related passage far below is wrong. That cites Radar Online as saying that the Clinton campaign website removed a Spitzer endorsement from its endorsement page.  A Clinton spokesman sends word that the Spitzer endorsement was never posted on the official endorsement page but appeared elsewhere. The Radar site has also posted a correction and its editor sent an apology to The Ticket for providing incorrect information. We should have checked with the Clinton campaign before using it here.)

Maybe you heard a little something Monday about some tall guy in the East with a jaw like Gibraltar who apologized to his family and the public for disappointing himself. And allegedly it has something to do with sex and there was his poor wife standing next to him looking as lost as that New Jersey governor's wife a couple of years ago.

Spitzer, that was the name. Eliot. Governor of New York. At least at this writing. And the word in all the media was the feds have him on tape tied to a prostitution ring that must have the most beautiful women in the world to charge $5,500 for we can only guess what. But it can't be good if the feds are taping it.

Some people will criticize the media for always going after Republicans in sex scandals because of their hypocritical stance on morality. Trouble is, Spitzer's a Democrat. So you won't hear John McCain complaining this week. Another....   

ortrouble is that it looks like Spitzer is a hypocritical Democrat because, as state attorney general, he went after prostitution rings and the media publicity attached thereto.

There's a political problem, too -- or three -- for Hillary Clinton. Spitzer endorsed her for the Democratic presidential nomination. And so, as it happens, did Gavin Newsom, the mayor of San Francisco, who publicly apologized last year for conducting an illicit affair with the wife of one of his top aides.

And then there was this local L.A. fellow, Antonio Villaraigosa, another mayor, who also announced his endorsement of Clinton last year and then soon after also announced his impending divorce due to a long-running love affair with a local TV anchorwoman.

So you might understand the New York senator's sensitivity over Eliot "Let's give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants" Spitzer. While all the media hoo-hah was going on Monday, and the number of visitors to websites with Spitzer stories absolutely rocketed off the charts, the alert folks over at Radar Online cleverly went to Clinton's campaign website and put a clock on the endorsement page.

Their timing showed that faster than you can say "Mitt Romney dumps Larry Craig," the Spitzer endorsement on the Clinton website disappeared. Vanished. Gone. Poof. Like he never happened to her last May. There's Melanie Griffith, John Cook and Norm Dicks. But no more Eliot Spitzer.

(UPDATE: A Clinton campaign spokesman sends word that the Spitzer endorsement has not been on the official endorsement page but is mentioned in three other places on the campaign website.)

It took Romney nearly a day to erase the toe-tapping Craig last August. It took Clinton less than an hour. That's the long experience of the Clinton machine at work.

But chances are you won't hear the New York senator say anything other than sympathy for the family and "I'm not going to comment on an ongoing legal case." The reason may be sensitivity for Spitzer, now in seclusion.

Or it could also have something to do with Spitzer being a super-delegate, one of those cherished high-falutin' unelected convention votes that may well decide who gets the Democratic nomination for president. At the moment he is pledged to Clinton.

And no one named Clinton is throwing any of those under the bus these days.

--Andrew Malcolm

Photo: Don Heupel / Associated Press

Comments

[Robert Laughing]

Just remember to FLUSH the political toilet in November...it's full of incumbents!!!

[Robert Valiquet]

The astrological configuration combined to this tsunami of
shocking vice and verbal diarhea are setting the stage for
Ralph Nader to Gore wichever of the two scarred and
devalued democrat candidates eviscerates his opponent.
Howard Dean for presiding over this debacle should be
tarred and feathered.

[JW Barnett]

My question. Is that 3am telephone call about where Eloit Spitzer is; or Bill Clinton?
jwb

[zammy]

Good for Hillary. The title "Hillary erases Eliot Spitzer in a New York minute" says volumes.

Now,how different is Eliot from Bill? Tthere should have been an article written years ago with the title "Hillary 'tries' to erase Bill Clinton in a Washington D.C. hour", which not only says volumes but LIBRARIES.

Boy, politicians are such shallow pieces of specimens. They put a bandaid on a problem at thier convenience, but fail to look at their disease infested, unethical state of minds that require surgery.

[Elyse]

I never saw a candidate like Barack Obama. He speaks truth. He is trustworthy. He has incredible leadership ability. His diplomatic skills are powerful and instinctive, there is no way Hillary or McCain can compete with his natural born leadership style or his ethics and truthfulness. This is the kind of President I want to see leading our nation, and the role model for my children. It's time to rid ourselves of those old Democrats, all their "experience" and their awful sex scandals was a pathetic waste! Let's face it, if you know how to build consensus, you don't need to fight. Obama - he's what great leaders are all about. President Obama is a LEGENDARY leader.

[hottrannymess_notinagoodway]

DON'T BE DUPED!!!

Large numbers of Republicans have been voting for Barack Obama in the DEMOCRATIC primaries, and caucuses.
Posted by: Jack

If Republicans are this smart, maybe you are in the wrong party to begin with.

[zeitgeist]

YOU ARE THE DUPEE!!!

Barack Obama is the better candidate and is winning because he is a phenomenon in modern politics. Face the facts. Hillary Clinton is using all the smoke and mirror work she can find to obstruct the fact that Barack is a great new force in the Democratic Party. She has past the threshhold of common decency in party politics. The voters have simply voted for who they want as President. There is not a vast right wing conspiracy to stop Clinton. This is a Democracy and it is working for Obama.

[ed]

Gary Hart, Ted Kennedy, Bill Clinton, Antonio Villagairosa, and Eliot Spitzer have formed a new musical group called "THE TEMPTATIONS".

They will be performing at the Democtratic convention in June. They'll be reviving an old classic song titled "My Girl." Hmmm? With these five singing the song, it just may have a different meaning.

[Bobby]

It is true that the hardworking, tired, overtaxed, American public doesn't have much energy left to deal with the corruption and outright treasonous behavior of hundreds of politcians in this nation. But, if we don't sooner or later, get on the ball and demand our rights as citziens, whether it is h1b visas, job depression by millions of foreign nationals with no right to be here, or why the elite are allowed to simply rob this nation, then we might as well hang it up. This country will degenerate to a state that in 10 more years is going to be unimaginable.

[Vera]

Hillary is a NOTHING to me, but I'd have done the same.

She didn't DUMP Spitzer, he did himself in. The man is a piece of slime in a swamp.

[Joe]

Democrats? Republicans? What's the difference?

You're all a bunch of slaves.

Wake up.

[Deepthroat]

Spitzer was punished and had his affair "leaked" for his fumbling of Hillary's campaign. All these guys are blackmailed with prostitutes and have it leaked when they screw up. Spitzer screwed up. Unfortunately the campaign refuses to acknowledge or explain why. But stay tuned... more people will be "punished" by the Clinton's for damaging the presidential run. Expect more "forced resignations" very soon.

[James]

You people shouldn't complain. At least he wasn't RUNNING the operation. Pretty good for New York, no?

[sid]

JACK SMITH are you on Clinton Pay roll, I cant believe You sent a such an nonsence empty comment . Get a life , Stop exposing your dullness to people with dignity who are Hungry for a change. You are trully a spin doctor. I have got a tip for you . People don't often read long comments , So next time write a nice short with sense comments .

[John M.]

So Spizer is a Superdelegate, eh? Well, sure, I knew that. But what about his soon-to-be-sworn-in Lt Governor? Does he get to take Spitzer's place at the convention or does he already have a place, as a senior elected Democrat? Should Spitzer even attend??? (Maybe with a bag over his head.)

I do want to know.

(Both Spitzer and the Lieut. Gov. were superdelegates. With his resignation, Spitzer is no longer a superdelegate. Since he was committed to Clinton, she loses one from her total.)

[Tom M]

Why is obama responsible for the actions of the people who endorse/know him (rezko/ Rev. Wright) but hillary isnt responsible for the actions of those who endorse her (spitzer)?