Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Reformation

Brad Smith has an op-ed from yesterday discussing NY Governor Eliot Spitzer's conversion from big fundrasier to campaign finance reformer. The hypocrisy is more than a little thick. A man who raised money sometimes in $50,000 chuncks during his run for governor, now supports an effort to change New York from a politically free state to a more restrictive state.

Spitzer is a smart man and a shrewd politician. While campaigning, he knew it was essential to raise money - lots of money - to get his message out. Like it or not, money is essential to modern political speech. Gov. Spitzer, he of the massive war chest, knows this better than most.

But now a new season is beginning for Spitzer. No longer a candidate for governor, he is governor. What's more, he wants to be an agent of change in New York. And in order to prove himself, he's willing to take New York from being one of the most politically free states in the country to one of the most restrictive. After all, greater government regulation under the guise of "reform" is always good.

Why does Spitzer want to restrict campaign-finance amounts? Only a few arguments can be made:

* He genuinely thinks that the money has a corrupting influence on New York politicians.

* Or he wants to protect himself and other incumbents from criticism and entrench themselves in office.

* Or he wants to secure the political title of a "reformer."

One must wonder.