Is New York ready to forgive Eliot Spitzer?

The disgraced ex-governor is jumping into the New York City comptroller contest. He's not just an Anthony Weiner wannabe, either

New York City's next comptroller?
(Image credit: Kris Connor/Getty Images for Dish Network)

Former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer (D) says he's jumping into the race for New York City comptroller. Is America taking this disgraced-politician-bouncing-back thing a little too far?

In some ways, Spitzer's comeback bid is strikingly similar to former South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford's. Both men's governorships were defined by sexual scandal — Sanford was formally censured after secretly leaving the country for a tryst with his Argentine mistress, Spitzer resigned in 2008 after he was outed for hiring expensive prostitutes — and both have sought political redemption through lower-ranking office. Sanford won his U.S. House race in May.

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.