One Year Later: Eliot Spitzer's Dubious Legacy

Hard to believe it's almost the one-year anniversary since we first noted the outrageous decision by disgraced former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer to grant driver's licenses to illegal aliens, and move which later helped grease the skids for Hillary Clinton's inevitable defeat in the Democrat primary when she was unable to coherently defend the program.

Spitzer later dropped the plan and before long was blown out of office after being busted with a high-priced prostitute.

Well, as it turns out, Spitzer's legacy unfortunately is still with us.

Eliot Spitzer may be gone, but his gubernatorial legacy lives on - in the form of 23,000 non-citizens who are being allowed to keep their long-term New York driver's licenses.

Twelve months ago, recall, the now-disgraced governor ignited a political firestorm by moving to give state driver's licenses to illegal aliens.

National-security officials called it dangerous, New Yorkers - even a majority of Democrats - overwhelmingly opposed it and county clerks around the state went into open revolt.

After several weeks of uproar, Spitzer caved - and his poll numbers took a nosedive that severely compromised his ability to govern (before his subsequent fall from grace, courtesy of a prostitution scandal, ended his career).

But during those few weeks before the then-governor reversed himself, some 23,000 temporary residents were given long-term driver's licenses.

And the state reportedly has no intention of recalling them.

Normally, such persons are allowed to obtain short-term driver's licenses that indicate the holder is in New York on a temporary visa that usually expires within a year.

But those who got or renewed their licenses while Spitzer's policy was in effect received new ones good for anywhere from three to eight years - even if their visas have since expired.

Great. As is usually the case with Democrats and their cockamamie policy ideas, the long-lasting repercussions are felt long after they've left office. Adding insult to injury, you can be sure the illegals probably also picked up Motor Voter registration forms while they were at the DMV. Wonderful.

Thanks, Eliot.

Instapundit links. Thanks!