The first showdown between Eliot Spitzer and Scott Stringer in the comptroller's race quickly turned into the nastiest debate of the campaign season yesterday with fierce accusations flying that included "money laundering."
Spitzer — who resigned as New York's governor in 2008 amid a humiliating hooker scandal — called his rival a do-nothing dilettante who lacks the financial chops to manage the city's gigantic pension funds.
Stringer, the Manhattan borough president, fired away by aiming many of his punches below the belt — slamming Spitzer as a hooker-loving hothead who was only spared from facing the music because of his wealth.
Pool photo
WHERE'S SILDA? Candidate for city comptroller Scott Stringer gets a hug from wife Elyse (below) after yesterday's feisty debate, as rival Eliot Spitzer — whom Stringer blasted over past scandals — stands alone amid the continuing telling absence of wife Silda.
"You're not participating in the campaign-finance program, you're not disclosing your taxes, you engaged in money laundering, you passed [prostitution] laws that you wouldn't hold yourself accountable to — and then you come here today and say, 'That's OK, because I'm powerful, I have connections,' " Stringer blasted at one point in the hour-long debate. "Anyone who did what Eliot did would be in prison right now. He would have done jail time, and he has to own up to that."
Stringer repeatedly railed against Spitzer for his "illegal, illicit activity" while in office, dubbed him a "colossal failure" as governor and zinged him for siccing State Police cops on a political rival in the Troopergate scandal.
"I will give no favoritism to anyone supporting me, and I certainly won't punish my enemies like we saw in Troopergate," said Stringer.
Spitzer's return attacks were equally sharp — focusing largely on what he characterized as Stringer's short record of accomplishments as a public servant.
"Issuing a report does not manifest change. Change results when you use the levers of government to effectuate change," Spitzer said. "Twenty years in government, which is what you have — 12 in the Assembly, the most dysfunctional Assembly in the nation, eight as borough president — what indelible mark have you left on policy?"
He also pounced when Stringer said he'd hire a chief investment officer for the comptroller's office — pointing to it as proof that Stringer is admittedly unqualified.
"He said he'd go out and hire somebody who understood the capital markets," said Spitzer. "Maybe we should elect somebody who understands the capital markets."
The Manhattan borough president shot back, "Eliot, I'd be very concerned if you were picking the stocks . . . If you had better people around you when you were running the governor's office, perhaps they would have reined you in."
It was the first time the two candidates have come face-to-face since Spitzer unexpectedly threw his hat into the ring last month, just days before the deadline to get on the ballot.
While they both said they hold no personal animosity toward each other, they traded back-and-forth shots throughout the debate, including over their respective levels of independence.
A number of times, Stringer rebuked the former governor — who once dubbed himself a "steamroller" — as too punitive when he was in office.
"The comptroller is not the sheriff — you have to be a steward," Stringer lectured.
Spitzer took the opposite tack, saying Stringer was too cozy with the politically powerful — particularly in his support of Mayor Bloomberg's and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn's successful bid to overturn term limits in 2009.
"Stringer was there to go along to get along, to give [them] a third term — contrary to the will and wishes of the public, contrary to law, contrary to what democracy demanded," Spitzer fumed.
Asked where they stood on a number of issues, Stringer said he supports a controversial bill creating an inspector general for the NYPD in the wake of complaints about the policing tactic known as stop-and-frisk.
Spitzer said the bill wouldn't address the problem of racial profiling — but that better training of police would.
The candidates agreed not to rule out reducing current benefits to stem the city's alarming pension obligations, while neither would admit to future aspirations for the mayor's seat.
After the debate, Stringer declined to comment on the notable absence of Spitzer's wife — both at the debate and throughout the campaign. But asked about the support of his own wife, Elyse, as she stood by his side, Stringer said, "I'm proud that she's here. She's a great asset to the campaign, and she's the love of my life."
The latest New York Times/Siena College poll had Spitzer holding a 9-point lead over Stringer, 44 to 35 percent, in the Sept. 10 Democratic primary.
The Democratic debate, which was moderated by news anchor Bill Ritter and a panel of journalists at the WABC/Channel 7 TV studios, will air Sunday at 11 a.m.
yoav.gonen@nypost.com
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