The strange story of soon-to-be-former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer (D) does have a touch of silver lining, the man who will replace him, Lt. Gov. David Paterson is a longtime supporter of Clean Elections public financing of campaigns.

Spitzer made campaign finance reform and Clean Elections a priority in his administration, and public financing supporters in New York expect Paterson to do the same:

Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Women Voters said Paterson would wait until the budget is resolved before laying out his agenda, and she hopes reform would be on his list. "While he was in the legislature, clean elections was one of his bills," she said of Paterson, who represented Harlem in the Senate for 22 years.

Indeed, while Paterson was a state Senator, and later Senate Minority Leader, he was the lead sponsor of Clean Elections legislation. Some consolation for New Yorkers reeling from this week's drama.