Spitzer says wife, family aren't the focus
(CNN) – She famously stood by Eliot Spitzer in the aftermath of his 2008 prostitution scandal, but Silda Wall Spitzer hasn't been hitting the trail in her husband's bid for a political comeback.
Speaking at a campaign stop Thursday, the candidate for the Democratic city comptroller nomination suggested that wouldn't change in the lead up to September's primary.
"I think it's fair to say that I'm running for office, no other member of my family is running for office, and I think the public's going to judge me, not who else is with me or not with me," Spitzer told a gaggle of reporters, including representatives from CNN affiliate NY1 and the New York Post.
"You know, she's got a career, there are other things that I think the public appreciates I'm out here fighting every day for," Spitzer continued.
When asked Friday whether Silda Wall Spitzer would join her husband on the campaign trail, his spokeswoman Lisa Linden told CNN, "Silda is supportive of Eliot's campaign."
Linden wouldn't specify whether Silda Wall Spitzer - a Harvard Law School graduate who previously worked as a corporate attorney - would campaign for her husband.
Earlier this month, Spitzer told CNN's Jake Tapper he did expect his family to stump for him in the month leading up to the September 10 primary vote.
"My family is supportive," he said the July 18 edition of "The Lead." "I expect, yes, she will be - the family will be out there; she signed a petition, gathered petitions. My daughters - and not the one who's overseas right now - gathered petitions for me. And I'm proud of that, but I also have said our private lives are our private lives."
Silda Wall Spitzer's absence from her husband's campaign stands in sharp contrast to Huma Abedin, the wife of New York City mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, who was active in his campaign even before this week's revelations of his online sexual impropriety.
As the Weiner scandal unfolded Tuesday, Abedin took the remarkable step of speaking to the press for the first time about the allegations, saying she had forgiven her husband and was supporting his candidacy.
CNN's Alina Cho and Kevin Liptak contributed to this report.
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yes but your character is... it says a lot about a person.
It's obvious from that answer that there's plenty being hidden but the media will focus on something else because that's what Spitzer wants.
The wives such as Spitzer and Weiner are staying with them for the dollars.
I wish Eliot Spitzer had decided to run for Mayor. We need him!
You can't put Spittzer and Weiner in the same category. At least not after this week. Weiner should have taken a longer hiatus like Spitzer. Now poor Uma has to try and defend her perverted husband.
Whether you keep quiet and standby your spouse in the case of Spitzer; and you speak out in the case of Anthony Weiner's wife, for me means the same. If you do not like the behaviour, then run away and let the sinner fix up his mess he created. For myself I do not see the difference between Spitzer's wife and Anthony Weiner's wife. Both have stuck to their husbands.
Oh, the arrogance.
New York, please show your intelligence for once and kick guys like Spitzer Weiner to the curb. Send a message for a change.
Yes they are running for office, to the extent that he is part of his family. Anyone who believes his family life will never affect his job performance is being naive at best
why are all the masters of infidelity be it sptizer, or weiner joining the mayoral race?
Not thinking, especially not about his wife and family, is what got him into this mess in the first place. He needs to go HOME and get his house in order.
I believe Spitzer's wife will be voting for his opponent. No woman should even consider voting for Spitzer or that pervert Weiner.
Yes, your whole life is the focus if you want to be elected and your Family tells us a lot about how you would treat us likewise...with deceit and disdain...
Spitzer for mayor!
If your family was running for office I would vote for them. But you ? Certainly not.
I can't imagine why your wife would be able to stay with you, but that's her issue.
But the fact that you flaunted the same laws you prosecuted others for is just disgustingly hypocritical. I hope the voters see past your request for "redemption" – it's a sham.
Dutch/Bad Newz aka Take Back The House
You can't put Spittzer and Weiner in the same category. At least not after this week. Weiner should have taken a longer hiatus like Spitzer. Now poor Uma has to try and defend her perverted husband.
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Weiner was your hero... why the change of heart? Oh, by the way... he's a perv, no doubt, but he's not a criminal. Spitzer, on the other hand, IS.
Personally, I'd just as soon never see another candidate's spouse campaigning for him or her. It's a distraction and it serves no useful purpose. Unfortunately, it's the first of the many indignities we heap on those who run for, and then win, public office. And then people wonder why so few truly qualified people actually want to subject themselves to the process.
As for all those making snide remarks about Switzer and Weiner ... the only difference between those men and most everyone else is that they got their closet doors broken down. Very few among us can say we have nothing hidden in our personal closets.
I think there has been at least three or four Dem & Rep running for office that have all cheated. I beleive one of them won in SC.
CNN's obviously somewhat irritated they don't have a second Democrat's wife making herself publicly available for them to tear into, scrutinize and judge for her marital decisions.
no, but your choices will effect my family........so you and your whole situation is fair game. if i don't respect you, i'm not going to respect your choices
Why is this tolerated? These men have real problems, why do we vote them in?
It's not his family I'm worried about. I'm worried about a former "law and order" candidate who broke the law and tried to cover it up.
Silda does not need the money. 1 she was born rich 2. she is a Harvard educated corp attny 3. she did not sign a prenup with Eliot and he was born into a very very rich NY real estate family – think 5th avenue penthouses. She is just a good woman trying to keep her family out of the public eye. He is just mean and crazy to drag everybody back into this for his ego.
Spitzer added...why of course none of my family is running for office and honest voters know it's true
Even if mayhaps they were running for office...y'all would NOT vote for any of them, too !!!