If all politicians who ever cheated on their spouse were banished from office, government would be overworked and under-accomplished. In Eliot Spitzer's case, though, it's how he cheated.

We now know, to the deep disappointment of most of us, that he was unfaithful to his wife. If this had occurred in a passing flirtation, or even in an office romance, we might have been able to forgive, if not forget -- and whether his wife can do either remains to be learned.

Gone are the days when executive discretions were greeted with a nod and a wink. America has long since graduated from the "boys will be boys" mentality, when male sexual appetites were granted exemptions from public censure. Still, a biological weakness is something we can at least sympathize with, if not empathize.

But what New York's governor did was far less moral than even that: He established an elaborate rendez-vous with a swanky prostitute, complete with travel arrangements, at a cost of thousands of dollars, on more than one occasion. The practice is not only immoral, it is illegal.

Surely, the amount of money involved would not have been a factor. He is said to be worth many millions. Probably, he believed the investment guaranteed him security from discovery.

He was wrong, and a most promising career has probably evaporated in one tragic morning, when America learned the shocking truth.

Spitzer, the handsome, brilliant, engaging governor, paid a prostitute for sex and obliged her to cross state lines to consummate the arrangement. That makes it a federal offense, something that, as attorney general, he'd have spared no effort to see prosecuted. As New York's AG, he'd prosecuted prostitution rings himself.

As the Press-Republican's Editorial Board had sat with him many times, discussing dozens of topics, dissecting legal and moral issues, it was impossible to envision him in a snare of such weakness and stupidity. He certainly appeared far too sage and pragmatic to ever be so daring with fate.

All New Yorkers feel profound compassion for Mrs. Spitzer, who last August was in the North Country to help confront the problem of the flow of New York's talented youth to other states. Significantly for her, no doubt, her husband was caught in his fatal tryst on Valentine's Day eve.

As Spitzer said Monday in his brief public confession, his immediate task is to sort matters out with his wife and three daughters. Silda Wall Spitzer stood with her husband in at least an ostensible gesture of support.

Whether New Yorkers will be reconcilable may be another matter. In truth, he will never recapture their unqualified trust. If he held his vows to his wife and his constituents in such shallow regard, how could he hope to command hearts and minds on questions critical to the state's welfare?

At best, he will be subject to doubts of friends and sneers of foes. He is thus, ironically, emasculated as a leader.

We are better off with David Paterson as governor. As much as we hate to see Spitzer go, go he must.