Spitzer Fiddled While Franchise Drama Burned

- Reading the accounts of Governor Spitzer's alleged conversations with the proprietors of the Emperor's Club prostitution ring, the date on which the rendezvous occurred seemed quite familiar. And there's good reason why. It transpired on February 13. And it was on that day that NYRA's temporary extension was to expire, and on which the drama built to its climax. So, as Steve Duncker issued his ultimatum, as the press reports varied between optimism and despair depending on which you were reading, as legislators on both side of the aisle and representatives of the industries (both thoroughbred and harness) worked diligently to hammer out an agreement (to the benefit of the horsemen in both sports), with the short-term and, in the case of the harness tracks, long-term future of the racing industry in NY very much in doubt, with peoples' livelihoods hanging in the balance, the Governor of New York was working feverishly too. Just that it was on a private matter, as he called it today.

Six times, from the evening of Feb 12, through the day and night of franchise deadline day, Spitzer allegedly had six telephone conversations with the defendants, five of which he initiated, trying to arrange his meeting with Kristen that night, at times in negotiations over payments which may have been as tense and intricate as those going on in Albany. (This is all, of course, alleged....however, Spitzer implicitly affirmed his involvement with his statement today...and his voice was apparently caught on tape. Any chance of him raising the Roger Stone defense and claiming that Joe Bruno hired Rich Little to impersonate his voice?)

In addition to that, he somehow arranged for the hotel staff to leave his room door unlocked, but not in a way that it would make it look unlocked. (Oh man...); and managed to come up with $4300, which I presume he did not withdraw from an OTB account, as a deposit so as not to be hassled like that again next time. (Which prompted reader jk and the Village Voice to wonder if he's due a refund).

None of this should, of course, come as a surprise. Well, yeah, the prostitution thing is certainly a surprise...but not the fact that Spitzer's priorities did not include horse racing in New York. His lack of interest was apparent right from the start. He pursued the franchise path of least resistance in surrendering the land claim, never showed any sign of educating himself to even the barest details of the situation, delegated responsibility to committees which conducted meaningless hearings that ultimately added nothing to the equation, and displayed his disinterest with statements to the press as hollow and empty as the one today. The only thing I read him say about the franchise negotiations over those two days was his misstatement that the negotiations were in the backstretch. To paraphrase Ice Cube, this account contained in the indictment can serve as Exhibit A of Spitzer telling the state's racing industry, "Here's what I thought about you!"