US News

ELIOT SPITZ FIRE

ALBANY – Gov. Spitzer viciously berated a state lawmaker, saying, “I am a f – – – ing steamroller” who will crush the assemblyman and anyone else who stands in his way, The Post has learned.

Sources told The Post yesterday that an enraged Spitzer bitterly denounced Assembly Minority Leader James Tedisco last week after the Schenectady-based Republican called to complain that he had been cut out of negotiations on a just-announced proposed new state ethics law.

“Listen, I’m a f – – – ing steamroller, and I’ll roll over you and anybody else,” Democrat Spitzer angrily yelled at Tedisco – who was driving in his car and speaking on a cellphone, sources familiar with the conversation said.

Spitzer then boasted about his political strength, saying, “I’ve done more in three weeks than any governor has done in the history of the state,” the sources said.

Tedisco later said, “He [Spitzer] has a different side to him than a lot of people realize.

“I think at some point he is going to lose it,” Tedisco added.

The sources said Tedisco almost responded with angry words of his own – then decided that caution in dealing with the popular governor was the better part of valor.

Spitzer spokesman Darren Dopp didn’t deny that a blowup had occurred, saying only that he would have “no comment” on what he called a “private discussion” between the governor and Tedisco.

But Dopp did insist that the description of the events provided by the sources had been “embellished.”

It’s not the first time Spitzer has been accused of going too far.

Allegations that he engaged in threatening and heavy-handed verbal conduct surfaced during his second term as attorney general, with most of the attention focused on the claim that he sought to intimidate John Whitehead, then chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corp.

Whitehead, in a Wall Street Journal article published in 2005, said Spitzer ripped him in an angry telephone call after he criticized the then-attorney general’s investigation of American International Group CEO Maurice “Hank” Greenberg.

Whitehead, who said he took notes during the conversation, said Spitzer had said, “Mr. Whitehead, it’s now a war between us, and you’ve fired the first shot. I will be coming after you. You will pay the price.”

An aide to Spitzer insisted at the time that no threats were made against Whitehead, although Spitzer himself conceded, “I disagree with people passionately.”

A producer for the Sean Hannity radio talk show also contended that Spitzer had threatened the show in 2000 after he had hung up in anger during a guest appearance.

fredric.dicker@nypost.com