Paterson: Hey, Let's Give Client No. 9 a Second Chance

This coming from a guy who boasts about putting a former drug dealer into a position of power only to see it blow up in his face when his aide was accused of beating his girlfriend. With such a track record of sound judgment, who are we to argue with him?

Gov. Paterson said his hooker-happy predecessor Eliot Spitzer deserves a shot at a comeback, just like the aides with checkered pasts Paterson prides himself on hiring.

"I've dedicated myself to hiring people who have had infractions when they were younger but had talent," Paterson said Sunday on Kiss-FM's "The Open Line" when asked about a possible Spitzer political return.

"I hope the same standard will be extended to Gov. Spitzer, who had tremendous talent and I hope will be able to exercise it."

Paterson famously gave a second chance to ex-aide David Johnson, who rose to become one of the governor's most trusted advisers despite arrests on felony drug charges as a teenager.

Paterson was forced to abandon his election campaign over accusations he interfered in a case involving Johnson's alleged assault of his girlfriend last October. Paterson has acknowledged speaking with the woman by phone.

Of course if Spitzer doesn't re-enter politics, he's always got a budding career at MSNBC ready to roll. Let's face it, he couldn't possible do any worse than any of their current lineup over there.