What's Next For Eliot Spitzer?

There’s been an Eliot Spitzer outbreak; time to break out the topical cream.

If you follow cable news, you already know that there was a major prime-time shakeup yesterday. Campbell Brown, the CNN anchor for the 8:00 p.m. time slot, is out. Her resignation letter is one of the most candid things you’ll read from a media professional:

I’m pretty sure the last time any anchor could honestly ignore ratings was well before I was born. Of course I pay attention to ratings. And simply put, the ratings for my program are not where I would like them to be. It is largely for this reason that I am stepping down as anchor of CNN’s “Campbell Brown”…

The simple fact is that not enough people want to watch my program, and I owe it to myself and to CNN to get out of the way so that CNN can try something else.

The Washington Examiner is pushing the rumor that CNN’s “something else” will be Eliot Spitzer.

The former Sheriff of Wall Street, who went after big banks during his time as New York Attorney General, denies that he is up for the CNN job. But that man is up to something…

The 8:00 pm time slot is one of the toughest in cable news. Bill O’Reilly dominates from Fox. Keith Olbermann is locked in at MSNBC. CNN president Jonathan Klein has specifically stated that he doesn’t like the opinionated news coming out of Fox and MSNBC, but Campbell Brown’s “honest broker” style clearly didn’t play in that slot.

Sponsored

The Washington Examiner speculates that CNN could turn to Spitzer. From the Examiner:

The network is even considering bringing in disgraced former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a friend of Klein, to panel the show. Spitzer has been a guest on Brown’s show and filled in for MSNBC’s anchor Dylan Ratigan’s show Monday afternoon.

When Yeas & Nays reached out to Spitzer about the possibility of joining the team, he briskly shut it down saying, “Nope. Nope.”

“I’ve been there once or twice, twice, maybe,” Spitzer continued.

Even if it’s not CNN, Spitzer seems determined to be a part of your life. He sat down for an interview on New York 1 last night — and once again talked about his (allegedly former) predilection for prostitutes. Why would he do that? Well, clearly the man wants back into the spotlight. Here was his own take on his political future:

“Am I ruling it out? No. I’ve made it very clear that I’m not ruling it out, but also I’m not saying to anybody that I’m running in 2010, I’m running in 2012,” Spitzer said. “This is not some predestined course by any stretch of the imagination.”

When asked about how he feels to be watching the political process from the sidelines, Spitzer expressed frustration at seeing the state government in Albany stuck in a budget stalemate.

“I wish desperately that I were there fighting for the issues I care deeply about. I won’t get to the litany of those issues. We will talk about them later no doubt,” Spitzer said.

We’re going to have to make our peace with the fact that Eliot Spitzer will not go away. Even though Spitzer was nowhere on the specific financial instruments that ruined the economy, Spitzer’s reputation for trying to do something about the excesses of Wall Street gives him credibility that apparently overcomes having sex with prostitutes.

Sponsored

So, where do you want to see him next? There are a lot of jobs available for a man of Spitzer’s talents. Take our reader poll below.

Campbell Brown Resigns From CNN, Spitzer to Slip Into Brown’s Spot? [Mediabistro]
Campbell Brown scurries out, Eliot Spitzer jumps in [Washington Examiner]
NY1 Exclusive: Spitzer Hints At Return To Politics [New York 1]