Will Spitzer suck the life out of Weiner’s run?
Two scandal-tarred pols may be one too many
After weeks of carefully managed political repair work that has lifted Anthony Weiner from sexting scandal punch line to front-runner in the New York City mayoral campaign, he suddenly faces a threat from someone who’s not even in the same race: Eliot Spitzer.
The former New York governor’s surprise entry into the city comptroller’s race now means there are two sex scandal-comeback stories competing for the media’s attention, and the constant mention of both in the same breath has once again put Weiner back under the lens of infamy he has worked so hard to escape.
“It’s horrible timing, just as Weiner was rising in the polls,” said Democratic strategist Dan Gerstein, who is not affiliated with any candidate in the 2013 race. “Now, we’ve had a weeklong conversation about sex. Character may become a central issue again.”