Back in July, Jeanine Pirro's first campaign ad mocked Andrew Cuomo's brief stint in the office of legendary Manhattan D.A. Robert Morgenthau. His tenure as a "junior prosecutor" lasted only 21 months, the spot said. As the gig in Morgenthau's office was likely arranged by Mario Cuomo, Andrew comes off looking more like Fredo Corleone than Atticus Finch.

But in her letter sent Thursday to U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Pirro portrays Cuomo's relationship with his Morgenthau colleague Elliot Jacobson as evidence of a partisan witch hunt. But wait? Didn't her ad sneeringly recall that Cuomo served in the D.A.'s office "21 years ago"? What happened to hapless Andy restocking the copy machine?

Pirro has endowed Cuomo with the power to ring up old friends — who worked in different divisions of the D.A.'s office — and get them to embark on explosive crusades against political opponents.

So stand up, Miss Jeanine! Andrew Cuomo is passing.

Read Jeanine Pirro's letter to Alberto Gonzalez. [NYT]