The rumors have been confirmed! CNN announced today that former New York governor Eliot Spitzer will be replacing Campbell Brown in the news network’s 8pm primetime slot, which he will share with self-described ‘rational’ conservative columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kathleen Parker. The two will host a ‘dynamic exchange of opinions and analyses – their own, and those of their guests and regular contributors – on the most important, compelling and amusing stories of the day,’ to debut this fall.
Spitzer had a prominent career as New York State Attorney General from 1998-2006, prosecuting several high-profile Wall Street firms for corruption and other abuses. Elected Governor in 2006, Spitzer led an effort to restructure the state’s system of education finance and began health care and economic reforms, earning the nickname “The Sheriff of Wall Street.”
But it all came crashing down for Spitzer on March 10, 2008, when the New York Times ran a story exposing the governor’s ongoing patronage of the Empire Club V.I.P., an escort service that provided Spitzer, a.k.a. ‘Client number 9’ with at least one high-priced prostitute. Not soon after, the governor resigned in disgrace and disappeared from the public eye.
Yet only eight months later, Spitzer was back, writing an op-ed piece for the Washington Post on financial reform. Since then, the ex-governor and former ‘John’ has begun writing for Slate, and has been profiled in more than one magazine. And now, in just two years, he has gone from public embarrassment to CNN primetime host – a fact that CNN did not mention in its press release today.
The 8pm slot has been a dud for CNN of late – hopefully Spitzer’s controversial involvement will help the embattled network, whose ratings have suffered considerably next to cable frontrunner Fox News.
Source: Daily Intel, Newsweek
