I hate to even give attention to someone who most people hoped would enjoy even less post-scandal success than his loathsomely untalented call girl.  But public disgust wasn’t enough to stop him from climbing out of the sewer in order to discuss his potential aspirations.

To be specific, a recent New York Post story about an interview the classy trick conducted with Fortune reveals that he is itching to, sigh, again win election in the Empire State:

For the first time, Eliot Spitzer is acknowledging in an interview with Fortune what The Post first reported last year – that he is itching for a way back into politics and, even at this late date, hasn’t totally closed the door on a race this year.

I’ve never appreciated David Paterson so much before.  Of course, the incumbent can only seem appealing by comparison to a somehow more disagreeable leader, such as, oh, his predecessor.  While Paterson can be thankful for his atrocious opening act, the rest of the state can be fearful of possibly seeing Spitzer’s name on a ballot:

The excerpt adds, “Spitzer muses with friends and advisers about political targets. He views New York’s U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand as a lightweight.

Well, get in line, although I’d prefer Tracy Flick if forced to take sides.  Still, that’s like choosing between fighting on the pirate ship or jumping overboard and dealing with scuba ninjas.  Spitzer might attempt to remain instate if he doesn’t aim for the Senate, which is bad news for those at least hoping he would leave New York more frequently:

In the office of New York state comptroller, he sees a chance to become a national force, wielding the billions held in public pension funds to force corporate reform in a way that even lawsuits and regulation cannot. (‘It is the great underutilized position in government right now,’ says Spitzer.)”

Yep, the one thing we need at present is a politician who wants to order around businesses.  Maybe he can team with fellow prostitute enthusiast Barney Frank to once again bring ruin to the economy via governmental pushiness; of course, they’ll hold a joint press conference afterward where they blame the ensuing financial collapse on Wall Street.

By pretending that this most irritating of recessions was provoked by corporate greed, corporate fat cats, and the like instead of the feds actively hawking subprime mortgages, Spitzer demonstrates that he hasn’t learned a thing during his time between jobs.

As for his time in Albany, the constant, boring crusade against typical left-wing antagonists demonstrated why he was unpleasant far before his taste for pricey hookers came to the public’s attention.

Will that public even think of voting for him?  Given the present distaste for national-level politicians representing Spitzer’s party, Democrats can’t be excited about supporting a committed ultra-liberal weighed down with baggage. 

That astoundingly scummy personal behavior still peaks through.  Spitzer treats the woman who tried to melt his brains with heat ray vision as she stood beside him on Resignation Day in the same condescending manner as he does the public:

Sources have told The Post that Spitzer months ago discussed with his wife, Silda, the possibility of running this year, and she was not up for the idea so soon after the national scandal that proved very difficult on their family.

Spitzer himself seems to acknowledge that in the interview, regardless of how difficult it may be, telling [interviewer Peter] Elkind, “Right now, I can tell you I have a family that is in one piece … That’s a measure of success after what we went through.”

There’s one crucial word in his quote: what’s this “We” nonsense?  There was a single driving force behind what your household “went through,” Mister Ex-Governor: it was all you.  The bystanders he refers to as family were dragged through a sordid crisis through absolutely zero fault of their own, and it all took place in public thanks to his career choice.

But nothing is ever Spitzer’s fault.  His gratuitous self-righteousness was reflected by his overbearing political style while residing in the state capital: portraying corporations as villainously greedy hordes, planning to give illegal aliens driver’s licenses,  and trying to push gay marriage on the state were simply the most prominent reflections of his willingness to further his radical agenda by swinging political power like a club.

Meanwhile, he wants you to trust him despite his utter inability to control himself.  Forcing his activist views upon the public is his life’s pursuit.  That whole act-the-way-he-did-and-resign bit was apparently merely meant to serve as a bad example to the corporations he wants to again intimidate.

Spitzer’s desire to boss around other people while exempting himself from any ethical codes is the purest form of overcompensation, particularly as a representative of a political movement that spends its free time searching for examples of Republican hypocrisy.  He’s the worst kind of political creep, and he wants your vote.  I’m already irritated by the revival of Client Number Nine jokes.

The battle lines are pitting Paterson, Sens. Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, a Paterson appointee, and several party functionaries against Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, the Democratic leaders of the Legislature, and state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who had a serious and unexpected public clash with the governor on Friday. 

“It’s become ‘Groundhog Day’ with Paterson. His disasters just keep repeating themselves,” was how one of the state’s best-known Democrats put it. 

 Cuomo, the highly popular son of former governor Mario Cuomo, is gearing up to run for governor next year and is seen by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and other senior legislative Democrats as their party’s strongest standard-bearer.

Paterson, with desperately low public-approval ratings and a penchant for blunders, is seen, by contrast, as so weak that his presence on the ticket could put Republicans back in control of the state Senate and, in what many Democrats view as the ultimate horror, guarantee the election of Rudy Giuliani as the state’s next governor.

If tensions are high in the state Democratic Party, the only loser here is Governor Paterson, who will be thrown under the bus quicker than Barack Obama can free captured terrorists at GItmo. If the party thinks Paterson presence on the ticket automatically boosts Republicans — and it might — then they force him out however they can. It doesn’t matter that he soft-launched his campaign a few weeks ago, he’s a goner… and the longer he waits the worse it will be for him.

 NEW YORK Republicans are eyeing a dynamic but little- known upstate businessman and elected official to run for governor next year if Rudy Giuliani declines, The Post has learned.

GOP leaders say Erie County Executive Chris Collins, a wealthy, charismatic, conservative-oriented entrepreneur and government reformer is interested.

Collins, who won a surprising landslide victory in the heavily Democratic county in 2007, would make a great candidate, they say.

“He recently came to see me, and I came away sure he was interested in running for governor,” former US Sen. Alfonse D’Amato told The Post.

I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. This idea that Chris Collins could run for governor was floated to me a few weeks ago, and my first instinct was to say, “Yes, he is definately a potential candidate in the future… but not in 2010.”

The first issue was obvious: If you don’t live in Erie County, you’ve probably never heard of Chris Collins. Name recognition is actually quite important, even against an unpopular incumbent.  

The second issue was that it would be seen as quite a big jump: going from County Executive to Governor. Just as Caroline Kennedy’s potential jump from daughter of a slain president to U.S. Senator was hard for most to accept, Collins would similarly be open to those types of criticisms.  When I lived in Massachusetts, I was very involved in local politics, and one major problem the Massachusetts GOP had with candidate recruitment was that potential candidates weren’t interested in running for city- or state-level office before running for Congress or the U.S. Senate.  They weren’t willing to establish themselves locally and build up name recognition outside of their hometown or district before jumping into a race for an office in which they had significant disadvantages in name recognition and funds. Chris Collins would be at a similar disadvantage if he ran now.

Chris Collins may be a rising star in the New York Republican Party, but, I believe that people should be ready for the jobs they take and leaders have a record of accomplishment.

The other day on WBEN, Sandy Beach said that Collins has yet to “pay his dues.”  And that’s another point worth addressing. I am certainly willing to trade public sector experience for private sector experience – and Collins’ 30+ years of business experience certainly makes him qualified – but I do agree that Collins needs to finish one term as Erie County Executive before seeking higher office.  Now, I’d like to believe that voters considered this, but then again, Barack Obama had barely served in the U.S. Senate before running for president, so he has no record of accomplishment and is completely unqualified to be president. Chris Collins is far more qualified to be governor than Barack Obama is to be president, (hell, he is more qualified than Barack Obama to be president) but that doesn’t means Collins should run for governor just yet.

It appears, despite media speculation, Collins doesn’t see himself jumping in the race either, according to this statement via WBEN:

“I am humbled and encouraged by the attention that our success in Erie County is generating across New York State. Whether it’s been fundamentally reforming county government, signing historic labor agreements that actually respect taxpayers or cutting discretionary spending by 25%, every decision we’re making in Erie County is based on providing value to taxpayers.”

“We are challenging and beating the status quo in our community by reducing spending, restoring accountability and respecting taxpayers and local decision making. Albany could learn a thing or two from Erie County.”

“Ultimately, what New Yorkers desperately need now is proven leadership with a history of success that can make the tough decisions and right this sinking ship. Mayor Giuliani is exactly the kind of leader we need at this moment in history, and that’s why I have urged him to run for Governor.”

 I think the state GOP has a good future leader in Chris Collins, but I’d like to see him finish the job he started before seeking his next job.

Gov. David Paterson’s chief of staff blames depression for failing to file income taxes for five years.

Charles O’Byrne, who earns $178,500, has paid more than $200,000 in back taxes.

The tax debt came to light when New York’s Department of State filed an outstanding warrant against O’Byrne last year.

He says he’s ashamed, but told the New York Post he’s aware that his failure to pay taxes was a consequence of an illness over which he had no control.

UPDATE: Senate GOP calls for an investigation:

The Senate’s Republican majority, fighting to keep its slim, decades-old control, is calling for an investigation into Democratic Gov. David Paterson’s top aide who repaid $200,000 in back taxes and penalties but didn’t include the debt on his ethics disclosure report.

Over the weekend, Paterson Chief of Staff Charles O’Byrne said he has paid the taxes and penalties he owed from 2001 to 2005. During that time, O’Byrne said he was clinically depressed and had informed Paterson, then the Senate Democratic leader, of his debts and medical condition.

In that five years, records show O’Byrne contributed $3,500 to the Democratic National Committee and Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign. In New York, he contributed just $5 during that time, but $750 the following year.

The New York Post first reported the story Saturday based on public tax records portraying O’Byrne as a deadbeat whose excuse, according to the front-page headline, was, “HE’S CRAZY.”

On Monday, Senate Republicans seized the issue to fight back against a Democratic governor who, riding high in polls, has sought to get the Legislature to agree to spending cuts to stave off billions of dollars in deficits. In recent weeks, Paterson irked Senate Republican leaders when he endorsed and raised funds for Democrats.

The office of Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos of Long Island said Monday that “serious questions are being raised here.”

THE Post today enthusiastically urges the election of Sen. John S. McCain as the 44th president of the United States.

McCain’s lifelong record of service to America, his battle-tested courage, unshakeable devotion to principle and clear grasp of the dangers and opportunities now facing the nation stand in dramatic contrast to the tissue-paper-thin résumé of his Democratic opponent, freshman Sen. Barack Obama.