Eliot Spitzer, the disgraced former New York governor-turned cable news talk show host, is getting back in to politics. Spitzer will run for New York City Comptroller, essentially the CFO and chief auditing officer for the city.
Spitzer resigned as New York Governor five years ago amid a prostitution scandal. In 2010 he began appearing, and in some cases filling in as a host, on MSNBC. In the Fall of 2010, Spitzer joined CNN hosting a show called “Parker/Spitzer.” When Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker departed, it was renamed “In the Arena,” with Spitzer as solo host. That show was canceled two years ago this month. When Keith Olbermann abruptly left Current TV in March of 2012, Spitzer slid into that timeslot. But that lasted less than a year, as Spitzer ended the show when the network was sold to Al Jazeera in January.
On “CBS This Morning,” Spitzer said, “I sinned, I owned up to it, I looked them in the eye, I resigned, I held myself accountable. I think that was the only right thing to do. There’s a record there that I hope they will look to and say, ‘yes, the comptroller’s position is one that fits his skill set and we hope that we can bring him back for public service.'”
Spitzer has until Thursday to gather 3,750 signatures to get on the ballot for a primary which will be held in September.