Please do not ignore the AG's important work on behalf of some of the most defenseless and exploited New Yorkers, poor immigrant men who earned less than $2 an hour delivering groceries. Spitzer helped win millions of dollars in back pay for these people.

These are people who have no constituency, no voting power, no politicians in their pocket, no lobby, nothing. Yet Spitzer's labor bureau has worked tirelessly on their behalf. There is no grandstanding here, no showmanship, no flashy headlines to be made, no magazine covers, for cases like these.

But they do correct a wrong, the kind of wrong which is all too often overlooked. And Spitzer, and the attorneys who work for him, deserve untainted credit for pursuing them.

Look, I'm sure that Spitzer can be an ass. Pretty much anyone in New York politics who gets as far as he has must have some sharp elbows.

And I don't know the details of your conversation, so I won't comment on it. However, Spitzer has done far, far more than slap some companies on the wrist.

Major corporations actually live in fear of the man, and long-standing practices which are unethical/illegal have stopped, most without ever having been prosecuted. The insurance industry and financial industry, in particular, have changed markedly because of Spitzer, and for the better. I suspect you don't really know about these changes, or don't understand them. You really have to in order to deny that he's made a real difference.

When you say that Spitzer said this or that you are not using quotation marks. This leads me to believe that perhaps you are characterizing what he said through a veil of anger on this particular issue in your own back yard. I understand your anger and frustration at being up against a man like Spitzer. I don't however give much weight to your rant. Perhaps your personal self interest on this issue clouds your reporting of the facts.

I don't care one way or another about Spitzer, actually. I did call him the Governor pre-emptively in the above, but that was supposed to be future Governor, so don't read Spitzer worship into that slipup. I think probably you're right about the development plan (if only because huge complexes are bound to be less egalitarian than small brownhouses or whatever) and probably Spitzer was a bit of an ass or too short-tempered with you.

That said, and as I said, this diary will persuade no one. You can't expect people to go to your site, and you certainly can't expect them to stay there and have their retinas burnt out by the color scheme. Put some facts into the hit piece, then say "Spitzer didn't answer this point" (having given the point w/ stats or facts), and they you'll have a persuasive diary.

"don't talk about something that you did not witness"

Okay then...so, why did you post this diary?  Were only Kossacks who were at the meeting and/or agree with you supposed to comment on this thread?  I must have missed the memo...