Eliot Spitzer n'est plus gouverneur de l'Etat de New York. Après 48 heures de tempête médiatique, l'homme politique a choisi de se retirer de la vie publique, pour "prendre soin de sa famille" et se "soigner". Soigner une déviance que tout le monde ignorait, en tout cas avant que le New York Times ne dévoile l'affaire en première page. C'était lundi dernier, il y a une éternité. Car ces deux derniers jours ont été les plus longs de la vie d'Eliot Spitzer, et peut-être aussi difficiles à vivre pour Hillary Clinton.

L'affaire du "Client number 9" (le nom qu'Eliot Spitzer utilisait pour contacter les fameuses call girls), a du rappeler à l'ex-First Lady les moments les plus durs du scandale Lewinsky. Le public, lui, aura fait le rapprochement. Et les animateurs de télévision en ont fait leurs meilleurs sketchs. David Letterman livrait la liste des dix excuses que Spitzer aurait pu employer : "Je pensais que Bill Clinton avait légalisé la prostitution il y a plusieurs années."
Eliot Spitzer avait apporté son soutien à Hillary Clinton. Mais son projet de donner le permis de conduire à tous les immigrants illégaux dans l'Etat de New York avait fait trébucher la candidate cet automne.

Voici le discours de démission d'Eliot Spitzer :

"In the past few days, I have begun to atone for my private failings with my wife Silda, my children, and my entire family. The remorse I feel will always be with me. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for the love and compassion they have shown me.
From those to whom much is given, much is expected. I have been given much -- the love of my family, the faith and trust of the people of New York, and the chance to lead this state. I am deeply sorry that I did not live up to what was expected of me. To every New Yorker — and to all those who believed in what I tried to stand for — I sincerely apologize.
I look at my time as governor with a sense of what might have been. But I also know that as a public servant, I and the remarkable people with whom I worked have accomplished a great deal. There is much more to be done, and I cannot allow my private failings to disrupt the people's work.
Over the course of my public life, I have insisted — I believe correctly — that people, regardless of their position or power, take responsibility for their conduct. I can and will ask no less of myself.
For this reason, I am resigning from the office of governor. At Lt. Gov. Paterson's request, the resignation will be effective Monday, March 17, a date that he believes will permit an orderly transition.
I go forward with the belief, as others have said, that as human beings, our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
As I leave public life, I will first do what I need to do to help and heal myself and my family. Then I will try once again, outside of politics, to serve the common good and move toward the ideals and solutions which I believe can build a future of hope and opportunity for us and for our children.
I hope all New York will join my prayers for my friend David Paterson, as he embarks on his new mission. And I thank the public once again for the privilege of service."