That Democratic Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York is ensnared in a sleazy prostitution scandal is both a shock and disappointment:

• A shock because Gov. Spitzer has built his career on aggressively prosecuting crime, and presents himself as a relentlessly uncompromising crusader for ethics, morals and law-and-order.

• A disappointment to liberals who've long admired Spitzer as a rising, principled star with a bright future in Democratic party leadership. In fact, Spitzer was on at least one vice-presidential short list in 2004.

  See Profile of Gov. Eliot Spitzer of New York for more details.

Reports are that fellow New Yorker Hillary Clinton has already removed Gov. Spitzer's ringing endorsement from her campaign website. (The very last thing the Clinton camp needs is the whiff of another sex scandal.)

Political leaders, both Republican and Democratic, certainly survive sex scandals.

One need look no further for recent examples than Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID) and Sen. David Vitter (R-LS), both supposedly strong spokesman for the conservative agenda of "family values." And, of course, President Bill Clinton has a dizzying history of sex scandals, one which led to his impeachment for lying under oath.

The facts and evidence surrounding the Spitzer sex brouhaha are presently unknown as no indictment has yet been filed. The possibility exists that charges could include more illegalities than soliciting a prostitute, which would pose additional problems for Spitzer's political survival.

And there are plenty of high-ranking people dying to dance on Eliot Spitzer's political grave: with his aggressive, take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement, Gov. Spitzer has made more enemies and burned more proverbial bridges than any other political leader in recent memory.

Like all of us, political leaders are imperfect people. But hypocrisy may be the unforgivable sin in public life.

I personally hope that Gov. Eliot Spitzer can make a comeback as an admired Democratic leader. He has much to offer in progressive vision supported by a long record of principled achievement.

But I may be among the few who hope for that... As I write these words, CBS News is reporting that "Gov. Eliot Spitzer was not expected to continue as governor and may resign by Monday evening, sources told CBS 2."

(Photo of Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Silda Wall Spitzer taken on March 10, 2008: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Related Reading
New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer's Inaugural Address
Silda Wall and Eliot Spitzer Marriage Profile

ABC News, March 10, 2008: It Wasn't the Sex; Suspicious $$ Transfers Led to Spitzer