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Embroiled in a dogfight with Joe Bruno over what he knew and when he knew it, Governor Spitzer is ramping up his press offensive in Albany, hoping to turn the tide on a story that hasn’t looked good and won’t seem to end. Late last week, the State Democratic Party hired the PR firm that successfully fought to block the Starrett City sale earlier this year to handle Spitzer’s wartime press against Bruno and his fellow Republicans in the State Senate. Jonathan Rosen, a principal of the firm, BerlinRosen, says he spoke with Spitzer chief of staff Richard Baum several times last week before accepting the gig. Now, though, he’s raring to go. “The Senate investigative hearings are like the legislative equivalent of O.J. Simpson’s hunt for the real killer,” he told us, taking his new talking points out for a spin. “They’re over the top, they’re overplaying their hand badly, and it’s going to backfire.” His new client is sure hoping so. —Geoffrey Gray
