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NEWSDAY: New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer was accused of threatening unspecified action against talk-radio station WABC after getting embroiled in an on-air quarrel with talk-show host Sean Hannity and author and Clinton critic Laura Ingraham. A spokesman for Spitzer denied the charge leveled by producer Eric Stanger.

The fracas began during the regular program featuring Hannity, a host with conservative leanings. Spitzer appeared via telephone as the Democratic participant in a discussion with Hannity and Ingraham, author of “The Hillary Trap: Looking for Power in All the Wrong Places.” Spitzer spokesman Scott Brown said Spitzer had been told the subject was to be Republican vice presidential candidate Richard Cheney. The debate grew heated, straying from the subject of Cheney. But as Hannity continued talking over his responses, Spitzer attacked Rep. Bob Barr as a hypocrite who had fathered an illegitimate child, apparently mistaking Barr for Rep. Dan Burton (R-Ind.), who has admitted an extramarital affair.

Spitzer kept to that position, although Hannity gave him a chance to step back. Spitzer hung up when the show went to a commercial. But shortly afterward, according to Stanger, Spitzer called the station control room and began speaking with him. “At one point,” Stanger said, “he says to me, ‘Let me assure you, I intend to use my capacity of the office of attorney general to act on this.’” “My eyebrows went up,” Stanger said. “I said, ‘Sir, is that a threat?’” Stanger said Spitzer immediately responded, “No, no, no. What I meant is that I am going to call my friends in government to tell them to boycott the show.” Brown denied that Spitzer had threatened the station. Spitzer felt “sandbagged,” Brown said, because he expected to talk about Cheney and did not know Ingraham would be on the show. Brown also acknowledged the reference to Barr was a mistake.

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