Hillary Clinton's unofficial surrogates in New York City have wasted no time trying to smear Barack Obama with the alleged involvement of Eliot Spitzer with a prostitution ring.

Specifically, less than 30 minutes after news of the Governor's alleged involvement with the high-priced Emperor's Club broke on CNN, MSNBC and Fox News, I received an e-mail from one of the most persistent Hillary backers in New York.

To wit, "As a reminder that a scandal can always be brewing around the corner -- especially for those politicians who like to project that they are 'above it all' -- see Eliot Spitzer. The hypocrisy is rich."

My receipt of this opportunistic and jaw-dropping e-mail was almost as shocking as the revelations of Governor Spitzer's misjudgment itself.

The speed and ease with which Hillary Clinton's unofficial surrogates have sought to benefit from the personal and professional troubles of a fellow Democratic - and the leader of her home state party no less - is mind numbing and frankly disgusting. While the e-mail does not mention Senator Obama by name - the implication is clear.

Maybe it’s the heat, maybe it’s the full moon, maybe it’s Rod Serling and we are all in some gigantic Twilight Zone episode, but tell us it is not some twisted, macho, hard headedness that has made you decide to bring Darren Dopp back to the government payroll. Just when there was so much to be thankful for and excited about in yesterday’s New York Times regarding your new kitchen cabinet - POW, today’s revelations about the return of the Republican’s favorite punching bag (i.e., mechanism for distraction and obfuscation from real issues). Why?

Today’s New York Times brings welcome news that the Governor has been making quiet and promising efforts to reshape his bold style. In particular, while the blogs have spent the better part of the past couple of weeks ferreting out Roger Stone and his one man “spam” campaign on behalf of Joe Bruno (btw – well done Daily Gotham and Albany Project) – the Governor has been reaching out to a group of seasoned advisers to help steer him through the current storm – (i.e., “trooper blooper”).

This new “kitchen cabinet” includes Robert E. Rubin, former treasury secretary under President Clinton; Jerry Speyer, a real estate developer who has advised governors since Hugh L. Carey; Abraham M. Lackman, a Republican and former top aide to Joe Bruno; Marc V. Shaw, Mike Bloomberg’s former first deputy mayor; Elizabeth Moore, former counsel to Gov. Mario Cuomo and first head of the Ethics commission; and James R. Tallon, Jr., former majority leader of the State Assembly. Talk about bringing in the “adults.”

There is a new groundbreaking idea and edict from the State Ethics Commission – get ready – officials who use state aircraft must reimburse the state for any portion of the trip unrelated to “bona fide” public business. Imagine such a concept. Well, at least no one can accuse New York of setting the bar too high for public official’s fiduciary responsibility.

As reported by the New York Times on Friday (“Ethics Commission Tightens Rules on Officials’ Aircraft Use” – 8/17/07 - Metro, B1), the Ethics Commission issued its new rule in response to Andrew Cuomo’s report, from last month, regarding Joe Bruno’s travel at taxpayer expense.

While it’s nice that the Ethics Commission has finally decided to narrow the loophole – indeed, it was so big that you could have flown two C-130’s through it at the same time – it is troubling that Andrew Cuomo, good government groups and imagine this, the Senate Republicans have pointed out the deficiencies in the supposed remedy.

The pundits in Washington all agree that Hillary Clinton had the line of the night in last week’s AFL-CIO candidate forum in Chicago with “I’m your girl!” – a figurative touchdown on Chicago’s Soldier Field. At the same time she may have also committed a crucial turnover on a later drive to secure her front-runner status.

Specifically, as she sought to paint Barack Obama and the rest of the field as ill equipped to deal with serious presidential issues, Mrs. Clinton told the crowd that candidates and presidents should not always say what they are really thinking. To the D.C. establishment of politicians, pundits, consultants and party insiders this is as much of a verity as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

To quote Don Corleone – “How did things ever get so far?” That’s the question regarding Albany’s latest fiasco involving Joe Bruno’s political travel at state taxpayers’ expense. The answer to the question and the festering problem is this, a specially created independent commission.

Another commission? Are you kidding? Albany needs another commission like a hole in the head. All too true, however, the four potential investigations into “...gate” (supply your own moniker – i.e., Trooper, Spitzer, Bruno, Travel, etc.) have shown that no one in Albany is interested in getting at the truth or moving onto substantive issues of policy.

As foreshadowed two weeks ago, Joe Bruno and his Republican cronies together with entrenched Democratic insiders are using these “sideshows” to avoid the important policy issues that the Governor intended to address when he took office seven months ago. As a result, the public is left with wheel spinning and obsessing about who had subpoena power and when – classic Albany obfuscation.

Any hope that the Governor was adjusting his game plan in the wake of “Travelgate” is now officially over. It appears that weeks of pleading and prodding have had no discernable effect in light of his recent speech at the Chautauqua Institution on Tuesday.

Specifically, the Governor expressed his continued adherence to the belief that force is his only weapon against the Albany establishment. While acknowledging that passion had gotten the best of his administration in recent weeks, the Governor asserted that, “only when we are willing to confront power with power can we even begin to address the injustices of our time.” (NYT – Metro – B2 – 8/8/07)

This type of rhetoric and attitude was great when he was the so-called sheriff of Wall Street. However, times and circumstances have dramatically changed. He no longer has a badge and gun (figuratively). That is, he is no longer the Attorney General (a.k.a. – chief law enforcement officer) of New York.

With the 2008 presidential race in full swing and Congress adjourned for its summer recess - activists in New York and around the country will use the dog days of August to “inspect the flesh” as they say in horse racing. In short, asking the question - should we bet (i.e., donate) cold cash on this race or not?

The first race on the card is New York’s 29th Congressional District. For those who don’t know – and in the blog community this will be a small pool – it will be a rematch of 2006 when Eric Massa ran against first term incumbent Randy Kuhl. Randy, or as he is affectionately known in political circles “shotgun Randy,” has had a bulls eye on his back since 2004 when he beat political neophyte Samara Barand.

In short, Randy is probably one of the worst of the kool-aid gulping Bush acolytes in Congress. He is wrong on so many issues that the Daily Gotham would need to buy an extra page on the internet to list them all here. That said Eric was still unable to unseat him in one of the biggest congressional tidal waves since 1974.

It’s day 14 and the Governor and his agenda are officially being roasted by no less than FOUR potential investigations into allegations of wrongdoing regarding Joe Bruno’s travel on state aircraft. Meanwhile, the public is left with platitudes and bromides about cooperation coming from Albany and the Governor.

Clearly those that thought everything would change on Day One – can’t remember where they got that idea – are to blame. The only thing that seems to have changed are the faces – and not too many of those – in Albany. With competency and learning from mistakes so rife in the news and among the chattering classes of Albany and Washington, you would have thought that the Governor and his crack team would be on top of the trend.

State Senator Diane Savino offered a quick fix for this problem over a week ago when she suggested that Darren Dopp, the Governor’s embattled communications director, be fired. Of course, firing Mr. Dopp does not mean that he is guilty of a crime. Certainly his recently retained counsel made that point abundantly clear in an article in Friday’s New York Times.

Last Tuesday morning the phrase being uttered around New York was, “Not a good day for the governor” – if only. A week later and the story continues to garner news ink. Now, whether you are down on Wall Street reveling in the governor’s reversal of fortune or a supporter left grasping for words to explain what seems to be well, unexplainable – stop for a moment and contemplate the larger picture.