Why did New York Governor Eliot Spitzer yesterday suddenly abandon his plan to give driver’s licenses to illegal aliens?

He had no choice. Hillary Clinton, who was singed by the issue in her last debate, signaled she wanted the question to go away. Democrats in the state’s Congressional delegation also said it was hurting their chances to keep three House seats picked up last year. Most importantly, a Siena College Research Institute poll released this week found that only 25% of New Yorkers now would re-elect “Citizen Spitzer,” a far cry from the 69% of the vote he won just one year ago.

“Eliot Spitzer’s standing with voters has fallen faster and further than any politician in recent New York history,” said Siena spokesman Steven Greenberg. “It’s breathtaking and dramatic in terms of his fall.” The reasons cited for the governor’s ratings going off a cliff include not just the license controversy but the “dirty tricks” scandal involving Spitzer aides who tried to smear GOP State Senate leader Joseph Bruno.

What Mr. Spitzer has to worry about is a primary challenge from state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat who has been critical of Mr. Spitzer in the Bruno scandal. The same Siena poll showed Mr. Cuomo with a 56% approval rating. While Mr. Cuomo’s career demonstrates he is certainly capable of political missteps of his own, right now all he has to do is watch Mr. Spitzer stumble from one controversy to the next and bide his time.

 Source: John Fund @ OpinionJournal’s Political Diary [Subscription]