Aide: Spitzer May Defy Calls To Step Down

[brooklynite]

Source: NY Sun

A top aide to Governor Spitzer said today Mr. Spitzer has not made up his mind about whether to step down from office despite mounting calls for his resignation amid allegations that he arranged to meet with a $4,300-a-night prostitute in the nation's capital on the eve of Valentine's Day.

"He has not made up his mind," a senior adviser to Mr. Spitzer, Lloyd Constantine, said. "It is more correct to say that he is not resigning."

The assessment of the governor's frame of mind by one of his closest associates conflicted with the general consensus in Albany, which is bracing for the downfall of New York's top Democrat and the assumption of power by the state's first African-American governor, David Paterson, who is in Albany.

A spokeswoman for the governor said Mr. Spitzer, who is secluded today with his family in his Upper East Side home, said he hadn't informed his staff of his decision.

Read more: http://www.nysun.com/article/72713

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If he doesn't, the Republican State Senate, facing the need to protect its one-vote margin as well as the opportunity to effectively make its own leader (Joe Bruno) Lt. Governor (post remains vacant but responsiblities are handed to the Temporary Senate President) will initiate endless hearings or Impeachment actions, and put every Democratic legislator on the hook to take a stand.

[Teaser]

1. selfish

.

[Dr.Phool]

8. He should resign the day after David Vitter and Larry Craig.

And shout it publicly!

[Judi Lynn]

13. Absolutely! n/t

[guitar man]

19. took the words

right out of my mouth :applause:

[DemVet]

20. I disagree...here's why:

The Democratic Party simply doesn't need the bad press right now. Vitter and Craig made the Repubs look foolish. We don't need Spitzer doing the same to us. Sorry, he screwed up...now it's time to toss him under the bus.

[Sweet Pea]

21. The question is....

can a convicted felon serve as governor from Sing Sing? Cause that is where he's headed.

Hubris. Pure and simple.

The people here defending this slime boggle the mind.

[EFerrari]

9. No. Negotiating with the Feds. There is also an opposite report.

We don't have to eat every piece of spin with a spoon.

[movonne]

11. He decided to go the way of hillary...scorched earth policy.....

[KittyWampus]

18. As a NY resident whom this impacts, please wait til the full story is out. All you've heard

so far is the story Bush's Justice Dept. has wanted you to hear.

[Kolesar]

2. Ohio Gov Taft did not resign after taking a guilty plea in an influence-peddling case

Taft accepted vacations and other favors that were "beyond nominal value" from people who wanted to do business with the state of Ohio. I think it was golf vacations, but don't quote me.

Graft was common in Ohio. The highway contractors got a sweet contract for $70 million to replace highway signs that did not need replacing.

edit: REPUBLICAN Governor Bob Taft

[mikelgb]

3. Aide: I can say anything I want and it will be reported

no matter how contradictory

[nels25]

4. Don't forget that a report on Trooper-gate is

close to being released.

Big gains by the Democrat party could be diminished by this if it drags out.

I mean do NY state legislators want to stand by their man in a protracted fight in an election year?

Also the big difference between the Clinton impeachment and this is

A. There are identifiable crimes that Joe and Jane citizen can readily understand were committed.

B. President Clinton had a very high approval rating which he was able to maintain during the Lewinsky mess, Spitzer does not.

C. Spitzer has alienated many of his Democrat friends in the state capital (Clinton did not do this or if he did it has never been reported).

So all things taken together, it looks to me like Gov Spitzer is toast.

:nopity:

[midnight]

5. Tell Spitzer he can use this situation for the American people.

He can let the American people know that he will resign when bush does!!!!!!

[BrklynLiberal]

6. I guess it is true that you should not believe anything you read, and only half of what you see.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x3220949

[emilyg]

7. He'll make a sweet deal

and then resign.

[Habibi]

10. I think this is likely.

[yellerpup]

12. He screwed a hooker, he screwed his wife, most of all he screwed himself.

Who he has not screwed is the State of NY, unless you count Wall St.

[BadgerLaw2010]

22. Apparently a lot of hookers.

[yellerpup]

24. They are adding up by the hour.

(Sigh) Makes me wish there was a line for impeachment, though, based on degree of heinousness. I felt so bad watching the mother who was an Olympic runner on her way to prison for taking performance enchancing drugs, having Congress waste so much time grilling baseball players for the same thing, when the guys who have run the ship of state up on the rocks, divested us of our rights, spied on us for no reason, and driven the country into unbelievable debt are still operating with impugnity. Where do these fellows who and are responsible for nobody-knows-how-many deaths of American and allied soldiers and Iraqi civilians, and the dismantling of our Constitutional freedoms get off yucking it up at the National Press Club instead of being tried for war crimes? I know Elliot Spitzer was wrong to do what he did. Everybody is embarrassed by it, but at least so far, no one has died.

[bossy22]

14. doesnt surprise me

the guys a self-rightious asshat anyway....but even with my feelings aside i think he needs to resign. He built his hall political career on being "Mr. Clean" He won by so much in my state because he told us he was going to clean up Albany. Now that image is tarnished. By resigning it shows us to be better than the repubs because we show that we put the people first over the party.

Though he did not harm NYS i think his credibility is gone for good. Him staying in power might give the failing repub party in this state the boost it needs- and i really don't want this to happen

[RoccoR5955]

15. He should step down the day after....

:kick:
...EVERY SINGLE MEMBER of Bushco, Inc. steps down, and DEMANDS to be HANGED for TREASON!

[Az_lefty]

16. utterly selfish...he's screwed up, he needs to go.

[npincus]

17. drip, drip, drip... the details and cast of characters to come forward

what a nice way to extend the public humiliation of his wife and children, and create a distraction in this primary race.

Thank you, Sir. Please exit stage left.

[truthisfreedom]

23. "$4,300-a-night prostitute"??? This thread is useless without pictures.

Seriously.