Politics

David Axelrod slams defeated Spitzer

Patrick Howley Political Reporter
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Former Obama advisor David Axelrod slammed losing former governor and fellow Democrat Eliot Spitzer, who lost his bid to become New York City comptroller Tuesday night.

“One little noted NYC story is bullet de Blasio dodged in COMPTROLLER race. Can u imagine being mayor with ambitious Spitzer in THAT office?” Axelrod tweeted Tuesday night as it became clear that Spitzer was likely to lose his comptroller primary race to Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer.

Axelrod, who worked on both Obama presidential campaigns and served as Senior Advisor to the President in Obama’s first term, apparently did not care for Spitzer’s promise to “re-envision” the role of comptroller, much the way Spitzer expanded the power and influence of the New York Attorney General’s office between 1999 and his election to the governorship in 2006.

Spitzer trailed Stringer 52 percent to 48 percent when he called Stringer to concede late Tuesday night.

“I’ve called Scott Stringer and congratulated him on a victory tonight, and wish him well as we go forward in his position as comptroller. I presume and expect him to win this November,” Spitzer said in his concession speech.

Spitzer resigned the New York governorship in 2008 after revelations surfaced that he paid for high-priced prostitutes.

Spitzer’s post-gubernatorial life has been marked by the failure of his CNN television programs “Parker Spitzer,” “In the Arena with Eliot Spitzer” and his Current TV program “Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer,” which replaced Countdown with Keith Olbermann.

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