Challenges Facing David Paterson After Governor Spitzer's Resignation

Eliot Spitzer, the New York governor, decided to resign this morning after findings were divulged regarding his participation in a high-end prostitution circuit. Reports from CNN state that he claims to be "deeply sorry" for what has transpired. Monday will mark Spitzer's last day. According to CNN, the so-called Emperor's Club, in which Spitzer has participated for the last 8 months, charges upwards of $1000 an hour. Spitzer's activities were caught during wiretapping and accessing of text messages and included taking a prostitute across state lines.

Although deeply popular at the time of his election, Spitzer has lost ground recently among New Yorkers. With a record 69% of the vote (according to CNN's timeline), as reported in Leader Post, Spitzer came to power among mass public acclaim for his activities in shooting down corporate greed as state attorney general. In light of his public persona as a politician who worked for the common man, Spitzer's transgressions were particularly harmful in terms of his continuation in office. He has lost ground recently due to some controversial decisions and has not been particularly well liked by either Republicans or Democrats.

The New York Times reported that wife Silda Wall Spitzer prompted his initial reluctance to resign from office. Friends reportedly speculate that she was not aware of the extent of the allegations at the time of that decision, for no one currently believes that Governor Spitzer could have remained in office. Already, according to Leader Post, determinations to impeach were being voiced.

The current public does not have a lot of patience or forgiveness for married politicians who engage in these sorts of activities, as Bill Clinton can well testify. However, doubly harmful for Gov. Spitzer was his background. Not only was he a supposed crusader against greed, but also his recent poor political decisions harmed his ability to bounce back from this controversy. Additionally, the threat of legal repercussions would have damaged his ability to focus on his job as governor. Although no formal charges have been issued, Spitzer has begun preparing a legal team just in case. It seems unlikely at this juncture that some sort of charges will not be issued, but even the threat of such charges would damage his continued ability to do his job.

New York remains in a position of upheaval in the meantime. Sitting on a New York Times-reported $4.4 billion deficit, New York needs a strong and powerful leader. Hopefully they can find that leader in Lt. Gov. David Paterson. Despite the fact that he is untested as a governor and has not as much experience as many would like, Paterson may be just the thing to turn New York around. Focus now remains largely on Paterson's ability to overcome personal challenges, such as his limited eyesight, and on his variety of "firsts" (he will be the first African American and first legally blind governor of New York). But in the coming weeks, he will have to prove himself as something more than just a man who knows how to get in there and battle. He faces the multitude of issues left by Gov. Spitzer. Ready to step into position, he urged the public to pray for Spitzer and his family (New York Times) and turned his focus immediately on the future.