FACTBOX: Quotes on N.Y. Gov. Spitzer prostitute report

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Following are comments on reports that New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer hired a $1,000-an-hour prostitute in a scandal that threatens to force his resignation.

A New York Times report said the man who made his name fighting corruption hired a $1,000-an-hour prostitute and was caught on a federal wiretap at least six times on February 12 and 13 arranging to meet with her at a Washington hotel.

SPITZER, then attorney general, speaking to ABC News two years ago, gave advice to people who break the law:

"Never talk when you can nod, and never nod when you can wink, and never write an e-mail because it's death. You're giving prosecutors all the evidence we need."

THE NEW YORK TIMES, in an editorial:

"New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer could not have been more wrong in his brief public appearance after the world learned that he was suspected of patronizing a prostitution ring. ... His short, arrogant statement simply was not enough, not from the Sheriff of Wall Street, not from the self-appointed Mr. Clean who went to Albany promising a new and better day."

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, in an editorial:

"One might call it Shakespearian if there were a shred of nobleness in the story of Eliot Spitzer's fall. There is none. Governor Spitzer, who made his career by specializing in not just the prosecution, but the ruin, of other men, is himself almost certainly ruined."

DINA MCGREEVEY, estranged wife of former New Jersey Gov. James McGreevey who resigned in 2004 over a gay affair with a man whom he hired, said she had expected Spitzer to resign immediately: "By not doing so he's only prolonging the pain and anguish and humiliation."

ALAN DERSHOWITZ, famed civil liberties lawyer, on CNN:

"I don't think he should face criminal charges for federal charges for the actual sex act itself. ... I know nothing about the financial aspects of it. But this is a traditional state misdemeanor case. If anything, he should be charged with a class-B misdemeanor, which is a very, very slight offense, because being a John to an adult prostitute who was making $3,000 to $4,000 or $5,000 sounds to me very much like a victimless crime."

DAILY NEWS, in an editorial:

"Eliot Spitzer brought his once-promising governorship to a crashing end with a display of recklessness and hypocrisy of such magnitude that you had to question his sanity.

Three words to the man: Just get out."

JAMES TEDISCO, New York State Assembly Republican Minority Leader, told Reuters: "We have called for his resignation. We think it's a breach of his office and we don't see how he can continue to lead. He has broken his promises with his lack of ethics."

ED ROLLINS, Republican political consultant, on CNN:

"There's no way he can survive it. All the facts aren't out there, but as they're being reported, there's no way you can survive."

JULIAN ZELIZER, professor of politics and history at Princeton University, told Reuters:

"The Democrats want to talk about their two great (presidential) candidates. They don't want to talk about a sex scandal, and now they're talking about a sex scandal, because this is a dramatic one with a powerful, dramatic figure that is going to be in the news for a while. On that level it's demoralizing for Democrats."

(Reporting by New York bureau)