Eliot Spitzer Keeps Fumbling

Eliot Spitzer's long slow bleed continues.

His failure to out and out fire the aides involved in the effort to spread stories about Republican State Sen. Joe Bruno's travel on state aircraft keeps the scandal going.

Each concession that Spitzer makes like finally allowing the aides to testify under oath instead of just submitting written statements makes it worse.

Spitzer is probably right to fight the appointment of a special counsel. After the Pat Fitzgerald experience and Ken Starr's, who would want another prosecutor roaming about?

But Spitzer's opposition to a special counsel will only hold water if he responds with the appropriate actions on other fronts.

Chances are, if you think about it, Spitzer probably knew of his aides's actions: It just seems implausible to me that he wouldn't. If that's the case he needs to come out and admit that because inevitably it's going to come out.

What's remarkable is how many times politicians need to keep learning the lesson of getting the bad news out quickly.