Prostitution link tarnishes Spitzer's "clean" image

By Emily Chasan and Joan Gralla

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer promised voters he would clean up the state's corrupt political ethics, but a report on Monday that he is linked to a prostitution ring is threatening to derail the career of a man once considered a political star.

The 48-year-old Democrat has blazed a national reputation as "Mr. Clean," advocating for the underdog and tackling corporate greed on Wall Street.

Spitzer saw himself following in the footsteps of the state's many well-known governors, from Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt to Nelson Rockefeller, and some speculated he could eventually make a run for the White House.

But on Monday, the New York Times reported Spitzer had been caught on a federal wiretap last month as he arranged to meet a prostitute. Spitzer apologized to his family at a news conference, saying he had violated his, "or any -- sense of right and wrong."

The leader of the minority Republicans in the state Assembly, James Tedisco, called for his resignation.

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The scandal is the latest bump in Spitzer's volatile tenure as governor of the nation's third-most populous state.

Spitzer was already battling questions about his aides using state police to gather potentially damaging information on his chief Republican rival, state Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno.