The big-time columnist for the New York Times declares today that she feels utterly hoodwinked by Eliot Spitzer. “I thought electing Eliot Spitzer governor of New York was a really good idea,” she says. Claims she had no inkling that he might be a bit of a whack job and saw him as a “feisty clean-up-the-government candidate with years and years of experience putting the bad guys in jail.”

Lady, you must be joking. Anyone with half a brain watching Spitzer in action as Attorney General knew that the guy was a dangerous, narcisstic, power-mad egomaniac willing to ruin innocent people to further his political career. But somehow this eluded the incredible intelligence of Gail Collins. Then again, Ms. Collins also seems to think Hillary would make a great president. She isn’t put off by the race-baiting, the lying, the exaggerated claims about bringing peace to Bosnia and Northern Ireland. Nope. Great judge of character, that Ms. Collins.

As for Spitzer, well, I have to admit, the rent-a-date was pretty hot and maybe even worth four grand a date. FWIW, Larry, who knows about such things, says four grand is the “very low end of the high end” and he’s surprised that Spitzer, who has plenty of money, wasn’t aiming higher. He says for twenty grand a night you get (a) much hotter girls; and (b) total security and identity protection, stuff even the CIA can’t crack. “It’s like anything,” he says. “You get what you pay for.”