Politics

Spitzer nemesis Roger Stone: ‘It’s like Christmas in July’

Alex Pappas Political Reporter
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Roger Stone – the colorful GOP operative who takes credit for tipping off the feds to former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s prostitute habit – is feeling giddy.

“It’s like Christmas in July,” Stone said by phone Monday.

Spitzer, the disgraced Democrat who left office after his fondness for call girls came to light, announced over the weekend that he’s jumping back into politics and running for New York City comptroller.

Stone, who is the chief campaign advisor for one of Spitzer’s opponents, is making it clear he plans to be one big thorn in Spitzer’s side. He’s already attacking Spitzer as “a hypocrite and a weirdo.”

“Anybody who wears black socks and a Yankees Cap during sex is a weirdo,” the Republican operative told The Daily Caller in an interview, referencing details that leaked out about Spitzer’s trysts.

“By the way, if he wants to deny the black socks, I can produce former prostitutes who will all sign sworn affidavits,” Stone said. “So we can skip the denials.”

In a strange twist to an already absurd story, the campaign for comptroller that Stone is working on happens to be that of Kristin Davis, the “Manhattan Madam,” who admits she supplied Spitzer with escorts. She announced earlier this year that she’s running as the Libertarian candidate for the office.

Stone says he’ll make sure Spitzer’s past is thoroughly discussed in the campaign.

“He’s never addressed the crimes he has committed,” Stone said. “He’s going to be called out on each one of them. His record as attorney general will be reexamined.”

Stone is a hired gun who has made a career of attacking political opponents. But what is it about Spitzer that he seems to detest so much?

“What I don’t like about him is the hypocrisy,” Stone said. “He’s not Mr. Clean, he’s Mr. Corrupt. He wasn’t the sheriff, he was a blackmail artist.”

The GOP operative accuses Spitzer of a variety of sins, including violating the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting prostitutes across state lines.

“And, let me add, first and importantly, at the time he was seeing prostitutes, he was pushing legislation to change seeing a prostitute from a misdemeanor to a felony,” Stone said. “Is that not the greatest act of hypocrisy of all?”

For now, Stone – a former Nixon aide who most recently worked on Gary Johnson’s campaign for president – says he’s focused on just making sure Davis gets enough signatures to make it onto the ballot.

“It’s a herculean effort,” he said, explaining they’re hoping to get about 10,000 signatures so safely qualify.

The hope is for Davis to end up in a debate with her former client, Spitzer.

“Assuming that she gets on the ballot and makes the campaign finance threshold, she has to be included in the debates,” Stone said. “So she’s going to have an opportunity to confront him in front of an audience.”

While Spitzer emphasizes he is seeking “forgiveness,” Stone says that won’t come easy.

“My view here is I believe in redemption and all that, but first there has to be some punishment,” he said. “This guy broke the law and he avoided punishment.”

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