As the returns came in tonight, my wife cheered the trouncing David Yassky received in the race for Comptroller. This is the second time Yassky came in second in a major race. Both times Yassky's own inability to hold to his own values or to the interests of his constituents doomed his chances. This young man had so much potential when he first ran for City Council. Many of us thought he'd go far...as he himself thought. But he started to feel entitled to higher office and gave in to his ambitions. Yassky sacrificed all his idealism in his ambition to reach the highest offices possible. Now for most politicians this is no hindrance to success. But Yassky still tried to maintain the facade of an idealistic young man and the discrepancy between his facade of idealism and honesty and the reality of his complete amorality when it came to ambition was too obvious for voters to ignore. So he lost in 2006 when he ran for Congress. And he lost tonight in his bid for Comptroller. I was convinced in 2006 he had set his sights on the highest possible offices with Congress a mere stepping stone. This year his ambition, I suspect, was set on mayor of NYC. It is hard to see where he could look next...maybe district leader? Perhaps had he gone for State Senate, taking on Connor as I had suggested as a way to revive his career, he would still be on an upward swing. But he thought that beneath him, so now Squadron is on an upward swing and Yassky's career is dead in the water.

Yassky's political career may well have suffered a fatal blow tonight. Two big losses in his attempt to move to higher office. It is hard to see where he can go from here.

This is a tragic tale in the real classic sense. Yassky could have been just as successful and great a politician as he has always seen himself. The problem is once you start to compromise your ideals for ambition, you have to either give up the facade of innocence, as Bill de Blasio, no less ambitious and amoral in his political aspirations, has done successfully, or you have to make sure the discrepancy between your facade of idealism and the reality of your actions isn't too large.

Many I know in Yassky's own district, my wife and at least one other Daily Gotham blogger included, are celebrating the end of Yassky's political career tonight. This is one case where slush fund scandals and amoral ambition was recognized and rejected by the voters, and a man who sold out himself and those who originally voted for him now sees his career in ruins. Many who know Yassky celebrate Yassky's second, and probably decisive, crash and burn. To some degree I do as well, because the slush funds, the selling out to anyone who would endorse him no matter how corrupt, the amorality didn't win the day. But I also feel bad. Because I remember where Yassky started and I don't just see the end of the career of the amoral politician Yassky has become. I see the end of the career of the person Yassky seems to have been when he started. Yassky's story is a warning that even people who start out meaning well can wind up as sell outs...and a warning that if you DO sell out, do it eagerly and without regret, like Bill de Blasio, because the voters can take a wholehearted sell out. But they can't take someone who sells out and yet still tries to convince people that they are the same old innocent idealist they were before they sold out. New York voters don't seem to mind blatant corruption. But they despise the kind of hypocrisy that Yassky's career became.

Congratulations to John Liu. I believe that Liu will be a good Comptroller and will have a stunning career from there. And to David Yassky, I believe I had some advice for him in 2006 where I said I hoped that he had learned a lesson and was willing to reign in his ego, go back to his original idealism, and that if he could learn from his mistake, he may yet have a successful political career. I also advised State Senate as his chance to bounce back from 2006, particularly since those who opposed him in 2006 would have supported him over Connor (I know...I talked to many who said as much). Yassky didn't learn his lesson. He betrayed the voters yet more while setting his sights higher than he should. His continued selling out, particularly his participation in the overturning of term limits and his pathetic excuses that he gave for doing so, and his considering State Senate beneath him show his ego remained unbowed after losing in 2006. I have no advice to give Yassky this time around because I think it would be too late. I suspect Yassky's political career is at an end. Perhaps he will become a lobbyist. Perhaps he will go back to a law practice. But voters have looked carefully at him twice now as a candidate beyond City Council. And both times they ultimately rejected what they saw.