Spitzer and his crew really screwed this up. I've lost a lot of confidence in their political judgment, and their commitment to change in Albany. Here's why:
While I agree with you all that it was not a good idea to go after Bruno like this (ie. using the state police) especially given the fact that Bruno is already tarnished with scandal, I don't think was nearly as unethical or unusual as it's being made out to be.
The main problem is that Spitzer and Baum have allowed the debate and headlines to be hijacked by basically one right wing, NY Post reporter, Fred Dicker.
Let's look at the facts:
Spitzer did not ask State Police to follow Bruno. Bruno asked for the State Police to follow Bruno, ostensibly because he received death threats. Spitzer and his aides were not conducting police surveillance, or monitoring the activities of political rivals.
After the fact, when Spitzer and his aides found out Bruno might be abusing state aircraft privileges, Dopp started working with reporters on a story about it. In order to avoid the appearance of impropriety, he told Albany Times Union reporters that they should make a FOIL request for info on Bruno's travel. In response to the FOIL request, Spitzer's aides could then ask the interim head of the State Police, Preston Felton, to compile information on how State Police resources were being used, which is both within his jurisdiction, and ethical. It should be said that reporters and press people work together on situations like this all the time. It is not unethical or unusual.
Given that Bruno is the main roadblock to reform in Albany, and that Spitzer's goal is reform, it makes sense that he should be attacking Bruno. He has not hid the fact that one of his top priorities is taking Bruno and the Repubs down in 2008.
I am upset with Spitzer and Baum, not because of this rather hare-brained scheme, but because they didn't have the fortitude to see it through. They asked Cuomo to investigate Bruno's use of aircraft and in the Cuomo report, it stated, according to the Albany TU that "We found that Senator Bruno conducted some legislative business on each trip for which he used state aircraft. However, on several occasions, the legislative business constituted a minor portion of the day's schedule."
Spitzer should not have apologized to Bruno or anyone else. According to the Cuomo report, neither he nor Bruno, nor anyone else broke the law. Spitzer should have seized on the parts of this report that reiterate the fact that Bruno was misusing state aircraft. He should have said that he authorized his aides to do the work they did, which is probably true, anyway. He should have kept his foot on the pedal. Instead, he flinched, and allowed Bruno to win. By apologizing, he lost opportunity to direct the debate and he let Dicker become the loudest voice in the room, and Bruno become the reformer. If he had kept attacking he would not have had to reassign his aides, and would not be at risk for loosing Baum, and possibly facing subpoena himself.
If you're gonna steamroll, then steamroll, don't stop halfway through. Bruno's the bad guy here, don't forget that.
[1] | 
[2] | 
[3] | 
[4] | 
[5] | 
[6] | 
[7] | 
[8] | 
[9]