All at once, my inbox is filled with the following messages from the NRCC about various Democratic House candidates in New York State:

NRCC-Communications» Will Eric Massa Return Spitzer’s Sleazy Money? NRCC-Communications» Will Dan Maffei Return Spitzer’s Sleazy Money? NRCC-Communications» Will John Hall Return Spitzer’s Sleazy Money? NRCC-Communications» Will Michael Arcuri Return Spitzer’s Sleazy Money? NRCC-Communications» Will Kirsten Gillibrand Return Spitzer’s Sleazy Money?

Typical campaign stuff, of course — you take advantage of anything you can. But whatever voters think, Spitzer’s moral turpitude has no bearing on the contributions he makes to candidates in his party. Unless the money was stolen, its return is a public relations exercise with no basis in moral reality. And to tie its recipients to Spitzer’s behavior is a fallacious exercise in guilt by association.

If their PR pain threshold is low enough, then I suppose the candidates will return the money or give it to charity (perhaps to battered women’s shelters or something). But I’d actually admire any one of them who has the courage to keep the money and say:

“Well, at least this $2,300 won’t be spent on a whore!”

Then again, that may not be entirely accurate. It is being spent on candidates for Congress…