Opinion

Unfaithful to the truth

Just hours after this page ticked off the many examples of ex-Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s hypocrisy, the hooker-loving candidate for city comptroller reminded us how he also can’t be candid: He refused to say whether he’s seeing another woman (presumably one who doesn’t charge by the hour) — while still being married.

“I am so tired of the personal attacks,” he snapped, when asked if he had a girlfriend. “I’ve answered all those questions.”

Now, ordinarily, a politician’s extramarital activity might not merit editorial comment, especially if he’s separated. But ever since The Post reported in May that Spitzer and his wife Silda were living apart, the ex-governor and his team have taken great pains to deny that they’ve split.

Spitzer and his wife are “still a couple,” an aide told The Post, suggesting he’s spending “time with his ailing parents.” Last month, he himself flatly told The Post’s Andrea Peyser, “We’re not separated, she’s at the office,” when asked why Silda wasn’t with him. He even claimed she would soon join him on the campaign. Later, he again responded positively when asked if they were still together.

So if everything is fine between the Spitzers, why not rebut any suggestion that he’s cheating on her (again)?

And that’s the problem with Eliot Spitzer. Like Anthony Weiner and his sexting scandal, Spitzer’s first instinct is to lie, dissemble or change the subject.

If Spitzer and his wife have split up and he’s now seeing someone else, fine. But his inability to be straight with the public is another matter; it’s another reason he can’t be trusted with a critical elected office.