As a commenter named Mark wrote today on the New York Times website: “Oy. Another reformer with boxer shorts of clay.” New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (D-Mustang Ranch) came to power on a promise of ethics reform. The Times notes:

As attorney general, he also had prosecuted at least two prostitution rings as head of the state’s organized crime task force.

In one such case in 2004, Mr. Spitzer spoke with revulsion and anger after announcing the arrest of 16 people for operating a high-end prostitution ring out of Staten Island.

“This was a sophisticated and lucrative operation with a multitiered management structure,” Mr. Spitzer said at the time. ”It was, however, nothing more than a prostitution ring.”

A friend just e-mailed me what he says is a quote, not five minutes old, from right-wing radio talker gasbag Rush Limbaugh: “You have to remember that Governor Spitzer is a Democrat. These sorts of things are résumé-enhancers.”

Update #1: HuffPo is connecting the dots with last week’s bust of the “Emperor’s Club VIP,” an “escort” service that charged between $1,000 and $5,500 per hour.

Update #2: It’s emerging that Spitzer is “Client #9″ referred to in the federal criminal complaint, a person who used the services of a prostitute in February (Search the PDF for references to “client-9″).

Update #3: Courtesy of The Smoking Gun and HuffingtonPost, here are some screen grabs from the now-defunct Emperor’s Club VIP website. I’m not going to speculate about how HuffPo and TSG just happened to come by these graphics…

I’m particularly amused by this last image, an ad for a “pro” named Samantha. If you Google the text describing her (”stunningly beautiful, accomplished, international fashion model” with a “fresh perspective and congenial attitute”), you’ll wind up here. Is this operation a franchise deal? Do the feds know?

Update #4: Greta van Susteren says on the Fox News Channel that Spitzer has been indicted: “I have it right in my hand. I have the indictment in my hand … It was sealed, and now unsealed. But this is in the Southern District of New York. Where he was a prosecutor.”