Eliot Spitzer made his TV talk-show debut last night — interviewing a guest who, like him, allegedly patronized prostitutes.
Spitzer — who resigned in disgrace as New York governor in 2008 after being exposed as a john with a frequent hankering for hookers — conducted the bizarre interview along with his TV partner, conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, for their CNN show, “Parker Spitzer.”
One of the unlikely pair’s guests was Hollywood screenwriter Aaron Sorkin — who allegedly once shared Spitzer’s infamous passion for call girls.
Eliot Spitzer and Kathleen Parker, launching on CNN last night, host guests – including Spitz’ old foe Henry Blodget (farleft). Sorkin — who penned the TV series “The West Wing,” the flick “A Few Good Men” and the new movie “The Social Network” — was named as a john in “Secret Confessions of a High-Priced Call Girl,” a 2006 memoir by Dimitra Ekmektsis.
Neither Sorkin nor Spitzer — known to keep his black socks on during sex romps with buxom hooker Ashley Dupre — alluded to their pasts last night.
But they and Parker did talk about women, one in particular: Sarah Palin.
Sorkin ripped the former vice-presidential candidate as a “stunningly, jaw-droppingly incompetent and mean woman.”
Parker had earlier called her a “tease” and a “flirt” for leading the Republican Party to think she might run for president when she really won’t.
When Parker said, “I have to confess, I never thought Sarah would grow the legs she has. No, guys, not those. The legs to keep building momentum,” the wonky Spitzer just grinned.
Spitzer, a Democrat, then strangely rushed to Palin’s defense, asking Parker, “Why are you judging her by a different standard than anybody else?”
The stodgy onetime state attorney general also oddly fawned over another guest, Henry Blodget, a Wall Street powerhouse whom Spitzer, as AG, took down for grossly misleading investors.
Blodget “symbolized everything that was wrong about Wall Street,” Spitzer said as he introduced his guest.
He then shook Blodget’s hand, crowed about the success of Blodget’s Web site, and added, “I applaud you at every level for that.”
“And I applaud you for your own comeback,” Blodget responded with a grin.
In the ensuing lovefest, Blodget praised Spitzer for telling Wall Street, “Enough is enough, we are going to change this system.”
“And you had huge balls to do that,” Blodget said in one particularly cringe-worthy moment.
An uncomfortable but ever-smiling Spitzer quipped, “That is the best endorsement I’ve ever gotten. I’m never going to be in the position to use it, but I appreciate that.”
Spitzer ripped into Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, telling President Obama, “Do yourself a favor, do us all a favor,” by firing him.
Then the ex-governor arrogantly ordered the president to call him about it.
The show has been widely seen as another step in Spitzer’s attempt at rehabilitation, which some say he secretly hopes will culminate with another run for public office.
Introducing herself and Spitzer, Parker said, “I’m a journalist, and you’re a . . . politician?” as she turned to her partner.
Spitzer, a 51-year-old father of three daughters, quickly tried to cover up the uneasy moment by laughing slightly and responding, “I’m recovering. This is Step One. I promise.”
