Yes, our authors are buzzing about Eliot Spitzer debacle (one NY Times commenter quickly re-dubbed New York’s ‘Elliot Ness’ as ‘Elliot Mess’.) Who isn’t? And yet, even as the shocking revelations pile up, perhaps the most surprising result of this squalid episode is the sudden ascension of soon-to-be governor - and friend of school choice - David Paterson.

Well he doesn’t look blind.

Here’s the roundup:

Non-Judgemental Nonsense, TownHall, by Thomas Sowell
“What was he thinking of? That was the first question that came to mind when the story of New York governor Eliot Spitzer’s involvement with a prostitution ring was reported in the media. It was also the first question that came to mind when star quarterback Michael Vick ruined his career and lost his freedom over his involvement in illegal dog fighting. It is a question that arises when other very fortunate people risk everything for some trivial satisfaction…”

What’s the Matter with New York?, Kansas Liberty, by Dennis Boyles
“I’ve been doing lots of radio interviews recently talking about my latest book, Superior, Nebraska, and the ways people vote in the Midwest. The common question, borrowed from William Allen White (and purloined by everybody from Harrison George to Thomas Frank, and always to argue against White’s brittle views of arrogant outsiders), is by now trite: “What’s the matter with Kansas?”…”

David Paterson’s Unusual Rise, New York Post, by Fred Siegel
“NEW York may be about to have its first African- American governor - and not a minute too soon. The “dirty tricks” scandal - Gov. Spitzer’s attempt to use the State Police to “steamroll” state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, and his subsequent clumsy coverup - now looks like small potatoes…”

The Cost of Crime, RealClearPolitics, by Thomas Sowell
For more than two centuries, the political left has been preoccupied with the fate of criminals, often while ignoring or downplaying the fate of the victims of those criminals. So it is hardly surprising that a recent New York Times editorial has returned to a familiar theme among those on the left, on both sides of the Atlantic, with its lament that “incarceration rates have continued to rise while crime rates have fallen.”…”

Don’t Let Elliot Spitzer Get Away with Being Called a Hypocrite, RealClearPolitics, by Roger Kimball
“Having just learned the news about New York Governor Eliot Spitzer’s expensive taste in tarts, a friend emailed to ask me what was the fancy word was that meant taking malicious pleasure in the misfortune of others: “Spitzer?” he suggested…”