Spitzer Spat

Todd Spitzer long-running sniping at DA Tony Rackauckas burst into the open today on the front page of the OC Register’s Local Section. According to OC’s most manic assemblyman, Rackauckas is guilty of telling “lies, half-truths and misrepresentations” to the state legislature.

Wow – sounds pretty bad.  What injustice has Todd uncovered now? Illegal wire-taps? Prosecutorial misconduct?

Not exactly. The object of Spitzer’s outrage is the District Attorney’s office’s participation in a state pilot program to save money by having serious traffic offenders wear electronic bracelets instead of taking up space in the hoosegow.  Spitzer’s j’accuse boils down to some niggling differences over how the DA implemented the program.

Of course, the larger context is Spitzer’s ambition for higher elective office – any office.  It’s no secret Spitzer, who’s termed out in 2008, is seriously considering challenging Rackauckas in 2006 (especially since Chuck Poochigian’s candidacy has foreclosed the possibility of running for Attorney General).  Why else would he be hassling Rackauckas in the media?  This ambition will color Spitzer’s every utterance regarding Rackauckas.

The irony is self-styled taxpayer champion Todd Spitzer is trying to have the Orange County DA’s office barred from further participation in the program, which saved county taxpayers $18,000 in incarceration costs during the last four months of 2003.  Given a choice between saving the taxpayers’ money and getting a single sensation headline, Spitzer will go for the headline every time.

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