Democratic governor-in-waiting Eliot Spitzer can come off as a bit of a wisenheimer, but that plays better in New York than, say, Texas. His extensive knowledge of nearly everything frightens his staff, flattens his opponents, and fatigues reporters. The Spitzer Intellect can appear at any time, in response to even the simplest query.

To wit: Here's a recent answer. What question prompted such dedication to detail?

"The premise of the question is flawed. Most of the PCBs that GE discharged into the Hudson River from their Hudson Falls and Fort Edward facilities were discharged illegally, without the consent of government permits. When permits were finally obtained by GE, they were often exceeded. GE's PCBs have had a devastating impact on the Hudson River, resulting in the closing of most of the commercial fishery due to high levels of PCBs in the fish. The federal Superfund law requires that polluters pay the full cost of cleanup of past pollution — not the taxpayers. I fully support the PCB dredging project and further expect GE to be held accountable in the Natural Resource Damage claim that has been filed by the government and which I also fully support. The time has long passed for GE to remove their toxic PCBs from the Hudson."

Was it:

a) "Isn't the Hudson River Valley lovely this time of year?"
b) "Do you enjoy outdoor activities such as fishing?"
c) "Daddy, will you tell me a bedtime story?"
d) "Should General Electric Co. have been forced to dredge the Hudson River to remove PCBs it deposited there before the dumping was made illegal?"

The answer is …