‘Why Did I Accept This Invitation?' Spitzer's Awkward Leno Interview

Five years after his prostitute-induced fall from grace, Eliot Spitzer is back on the campaign trail. This time, he's got his cold, narrow glare set on the New York City Comptroller's office (the comptroller is the manager of the city's pension funds and a bunch of other financial things, depending on how badly you want to use the office to piss off Michael Bloomberg).

Yesterday, Spitzer left New York City to fly to Los Angeles to speak with Jay Leno, and boy was it... weird. First off, the segment started with a clip of Bill Hader (Leno's other guest) making fun of Spitzer on SNL. Then, Spitzer awkwardly portrayed himself as a cavalier prosecutor who kept the mob and Wall Street in line... until he made just one small mistake.

"How could you be this stupid?" Leno asks, as poor Bill Hader slumps further into his chair.

"Sometimes people take risks that are absolutely irrational," Spitzer said. "There's no explanation for it. It is a failure of judgement."

Spitzer is now leading in the polls, meaning that New York City could well have both Spitzer and Anthony Weiner in the two highest positions in the city (and if you try to tell me the City Council speaker is more powerful, so help me).

And then there's Spitzer's opponent, Scott Stringer, the mild-mannered Manhattan borough president who was cruising to an almost-unopposed victory in the comptroller race. Now, all of a sudden, he's up against a politician from the national stage running with his family's limitless real estate fortune.

But at least Spitzer can't buy the Lena vote. It cannot be sold.