Even by the forgiving standards of New York City politics, it sounds improbable: a governor felled by a prostitution scandal entering a race for citywide office with just four days left until qualifying petitions are due.
What exactly is Eliot Spitzer thinking?
We asked him. Below, edited excerpts from our interview on Sunday night:
On whether the public is ready for his return to politics:
The best I can answer is that I hope so. I will continue to ask the public’s forgiveness and simultaneously ask for another opportunity to serve. I think the five years have been important to me. I have done many and different things. I think they have been useful. I have tried to do things in the public interest.
On his vision for the often-overlooked comptroller’s office, the city’s chief financial watchdog:
One is to be the primary voice of urban policy â€" what works and what doesn’t work. It’s understanding that the audit power of the office is not just to figure out how many paper clips where bought and delivered, but to be the smartest most thoughtful voice on a policy level.
On whether the public embrace of candidates like Anthony D. Weiner and Mark Sanford have encouraged his candidacy:
I have seen those, but I don’t ever draw conclusions from other races. Everyone is different.
On his daughters, and their role in his decision-making:
They are now older than they had been when I ran initially. When I first ran, one had just been born. They are 19, 20 and 23. They are in a completely different stage of life. They are mature, they are grown up. They have lived through a lot.
On his wife, Silda, and whether they are separated, as reports suggest:
Our private lives are our private lives. We do not comment on that. Yes, we are married, absolutely.
On his reputation, as attorney general of New York:
We took on battles that people thought were impossible to win. We won a lot of them. I was able to re-envision the attorney general’s office and hope to do the same for the comptroller’s office.
On his likely opponent, Manhattan Borough President Scott M. Stringer:
Most of the time I agree with Scott. I hope Scott and I, who are friends now, are friends when this is over
On why he would challenge a friend for office:
I believe in competitive races. I think I am qualified to be comptroller.
On public polling of city voters, which has shown little appetite for his return to office:
I have not done one stitch of polling. I have none other than the experience and data of walking down the street. I used to say to the folks that did polling for me, ‘I live in a focus group.’
After 5 years, the public might be willing to give me a second chance.
